Blitzkrieg
by Echo Hayabusa
Summary: Andy Mercier's dream has always been to wrestle. So that's what he's done for years. Now he's been given the opportunity for the big time, In NXT.
1. Chapter 1

Blitzkrieg

Finn Balor licked his lips and swallowed his saliva. He had just defended his NXT championship against Sami Zayne and now he stared down the Ascension as they glared at him. They were about to dismantle him, and there wasn't much he could do. He was exhausted from his winning effort and they had the numbers game.

Finn shook his head as they started in on him from both sides, mouthing that they didn't want to do this. "You have to feel bad for Finn Balor. He just has a grueling match and now he's facing the Ascension." Corey Graves spoke.

"I don't." Tom Phillips responded. "Finn Balor has had problems with these two since his debut. You make enemies. You deal with them!"

"You're making an enemy out of me right now."

As the Ascension finally closed the distance between them and Balor, Konnor was blind sighted. His body hit the mat as Viktor and Finn turned to face his assailant. It was a man with dark brown, almost black, hair with the sides shaved very close to the skull and the top long enough to lay flat over his hairline. He wore a Balor Club tee shirt, blue jeans and a pair of black high top converse.

"That's Andy Mercier!" Corey crowed in awe.

"You're right! He's an international wrestling superstar! What's he doing on NXT?"

Viktor closed the distance between him and Andy Mercier, swinging angrily. The dark haired man ducked underneath the punch and landed a solid kick to his targets skull. Viktor stumbled, dazed, before he was lifted onto Andy's shoulders. The new arrival looked directly into the camera before delivering a Go 2 Sleep to Viktor, sending him sprawling to the mat.

As Konnor regained his footing, Andy spun and delivered another lethal kick to his skull. He pulled Konnor onto his shoulder from behind almost in a torture rack. He proceeded to perform an inverted Go 2 Sleep to the back of the man's skull, sending him to the mat with his teammate. Quickly, Andy spun and faced Finn, who stood in place with shock.

Andy stared at him with fierce eyes before out spreading his arms and smiling as he pointed to his Balor Club shirt. Finn released a visible breath as he smiled walking forward with his NXT championship in hand to embrace the man. Their mouths moved as they talked, but everything was inaudible.

"Well, how do you like that Phillips? We may have just witnessed history by watching the debut of Andy Mercier."

"I hope so, Corey. He's a phenomenal athlete."

"If the display we're seeing is anything to go by then we may be seeing future tag team champions in that ring on top of that!"

Finn turned from Andy and made to walk to the side of the ring to raise his title for the fans. As he walked though, Andy's smile slipped and he lurched forward. Finn dropped his belt as the new arrival reached over his shoulders and pulled his arms in an X over his chest before performing a straight jacket back breaker.

"Or not!" Phillips called as Andy stared down at Finn before reaching down and grabbing the NXT championship. He stood staring at the downed Finn a moment longer before raising the title with one hand as the crowd cheered, and booed, loudly. "I think we definitely just witnessed the debut of Andy Mercier! But he's not here for tag team titles, he's here for the big one! And what an impression to prove it!"

"I can't argue with you there. That was definitely a statement. Well folks, that's it. Goodnight from NXT."

The show faded off air with Andy Mercier holding the NXT title over his head and standing over the downed forms of the Ascension and Finn Balor.

XXX

That's it guys! It's pretty short, but, I wanted to see Andy Mercier in a story because he's a character I've worked on for a while. Anyway, the time line here may not be in sync with real world. Storylines may be out of place, wrestlers may be around when they shouldn't be, commentators may too, that kind of stuff. But I want to make a world for Andy Mercier.

If you guys want to have your ocs in IIIIII need em! I'll put my ocs info below and you can use it as a template. You don't have to go as in depth as I did, but I do need the basics

Let me know if you want Raw, Smackdown or NXT Face Heel or Tweener and if you want a specific title. I'll probably give it to you if you're first to come. Also, brand extension hasn't happened yet in this story as of now.

Oc/template

Real Name: Andy Degray

Ring Name: Andy Mercier

Hometown: Prefers London England or Paris France as heel but Ontario Canada as Face.

Age: 26

Gender: Male

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 190IBS

Skin color: Between pale and tan

Social Media Handle: Realstrongstyleshoot

Appearance: Dark brown almost black hair with the sides shaved very close to the skull and the top long enough to lay flat over his hairline. Blue eyes with brown around the pupils that reflect red and orange.

Ring attire: Black trunks with partial red spitting flames on the sides. Armbands to his upper biceps with downward red spitting flames on the outside. Black boots with black kick pads with upward red spitting flames on front. Black knee pads directly above the kick pads with red strips at the top and bottom and the name Mercier stylized like teeth in a mouth over it.

Entrance Attire: Ring Gear with a reversible black bandanna wrapped around under his eyes and going down to his chest. On one side there is a lower human skull with bullets hanging from it. On the other is the name Mercier stylized like teeth in a mouth. Also wears a black tee shirt with the same stylized Mercier and downward red spitting flames behind it.

Street Clothes: A tee shirt or muscle shirt. It is Maroon to crimson from top to bottom with ride the Lightning written on it with Mercier stylized as a lightning bolt underneath it. If tee shirt he wears a black leather jacket with the stylized name Mercier with certain letters stylized as bullets. If a muscle shirt he wears a blue denim vest with a black cloth hood with a union jack flag, rising sun flag, Canadian flag, and French flag patched onto both sides of the chest two on either side. Black cargo pants or blue jeans. Black combat boots with his cargo pants and converse with the blue jeans.

Tattoos/piercings: None

Personality:

(Heel) Rude and disrespectful and cocky utilizing any means to win with his brutal mma and strong style

(Face) Honorable and fearless . Utilizes his most high risk dangerous moves to please the fans.

(Real Life) A generally nice and laid back guy.

Wrestling Style:

(Heel) Andy "Strong Style" Mercier uses mma and strong style wrestling refusing to take high risks for fans

(Face) Andy "True Shooter" Mercier utilizes his high flying style and integrates mma and strong style wrestling

Taunts: Pointing his hand like a gun at his opponents, pointing his hand like a gun at the crowd, putting his hand like a gun against a downed opponents head and "shooting it" and the "Too Sweet" hand sign

Signatures(Max 6): Sling Blade, Coup De Grace, ankle lock into German suplex, straight jacket back breaker, Suicide Somersault Senton, jumping yakuza kick

Finishers (Max 3): Andy's out(and he's out[A Kinshasa]), Ride the Mercier(A Go 2 Sleep/ aUra G2S) and Show no Mercier(A Banks Statement)

Manager: None

Theme Song: Crown Of Thorns by Black Veil Brides

Entrance: Andy walks onto the top stage before dropping to one knee. He makes a gun with his right hand and places it to the side of his head before shaking his head and pointing to the ring, clicking his thumb like he's shoot. He jumps to both feet with a war cry and walks down the ramp.

He stops at the end and lifts his arms quickly, pointing his hands at the crowd like guns as they call "Strong!" He turns around quickly and raises his arms again as the fans call "Style!"

He spins back around and walks to the ring. He makes to go to the steps before spinning and running and jumping through the air onto the apron. He grabs the rope and sits there for a second before pulling to his feet. He makes his way to the corner and climbs the ring post.

He bends down and let's his body and arms dangle before jerking up and bending his back. He points his hand like a gun at either the crowd or his opponent clicking like he's shooting. He then drops into the ring jumping from foot to foot in place before falling into the corner with his arms on the upper ropes and his legs crossed at the ankles.

Titantron & Minitron: Has a typical entrance tron with him wrestling & either "True Shooter" or "Strong Style" flashing depending on if he's face or heel.

Relationships: N/A

Accomplishments:

King of Strong Style(For a time and still self proclaimed)

2x IWGP Intercontinental Champion

1x CMLL World Heavyweight Champion

1x ROH World Television Champion

2x ROH World Tag Team Champion

1x IWGP Heavyweight Champion

Short but undefeated MMA/UFC streak

Extra info: Has an accent that is not hard to understand, but can't be pinpointed as a single accent

Has a strong appreciation for actual female wrestlers

Dislikes total divas

Does not break Kayfab on social media, but does for fans

Bio: Andy Degray

Andy Degray was born in the United States of America. However, he was moved overseas with his mother after the death of his father to her homeland in the United Kingdom. He grew up watching the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. He was enamored with the larger than life stars but never thought about pursuing a dream of wrestling. This is due to him not believing he had a place in the wrestling world because of his small height and weight.

Instead he would take up Mixed Martial Arts in London England. He would impress a scout associated with MMA training and land a training contract. After signing with the company, he would move to Paris France where the main dojo was located. He would train there or travel with his instructors to its sister location in Ireland. As his contract began to wind down, he came close to signing a deal with the UFC who were interested in shaping his still somewhat rough style.

However he was approached by officials from New Japan Pro Wrestling who were impressed with his athleticism in the ring. After a few negotiations, he would sign with NJPW before moving to Japan to pursue his dream. He began learning a high flying style and debuted as Mach Degray. This character floundered as Andy was still trying to integrate his new high flying style and his MMA together.

Nevertheless he was given a shot at the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. He would win the title, but go on to lose it in his very first defense before being pulled from active duty. He was pushed into an actual training regime to teach him the high flying skills he needed. After a year of training in the main dojo of NJPW in Japan, he returned to active duty and reclaimed the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in his redebute. He would defend the title five time before losing it on his sixth defense.

Directly afterward he was given a chance at an IWGP Heavyweight championship match which he was scheduled to win. However, he took a dive to the reigning champion after tearing his acl during the match.

He was sidelined for months and spent a majority of his time in the NJPW dojo where he met Shinsuke Nakamura and discovered the Strong Style wrestling. He and Shinsuke Nakamura would become friends and Shinsuke would begin teaching him Strong Style wrestling. Once he was cleared to compete, he took a leave of absence to train his high risk style and MMA, and more importantly Strong Style. He was later released from New Japan before he returned.

He was inactive in the wrestling world for half a year before debuting in Consejo Mundial de Luchadors Libre as Los Locomotive. Under the luchadors there he was able to finally fall into the role of a high flyer and impress audiences. Unfortunately his run in CMLL was short and forgettable with him only going on to win the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship once and defending it three times before losing it. After the loss he would fade from CMLL before his contract expired.

Afterward he would move to Ontario Canada and sign with Ring Of Honor. It was here that he debute as Andy Mercier and fully began integrating his high risk style, MMA style and Strong Style into one style. He would have a six month undefeated streak before losing his first match in a ROH World Television Championship match. He would go on to win the title the following month before holding it for three months.

After losing the belt he would form a team called the Smoking Barrels and turn heel for the first time. They would go on to claim the ROH World Tag Team Championships and held them for six months. Andy would lose his after his partner turned on him and formed a new team. Andy would turn face and recapture the tag titles with a new partner before losing them the following week. He was then given a push for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship.

However, with his contract running short and his mother's death back in the United Kingdom, one of his contests ended in a shoot match. After his opponent chose to no sell his moves and continuously stiff shot him, Andy punished him with his MMA and Strong Style background. This resulted in him losing to the current ROH World Heavyweight Champion.

He returned to the UK to attend his mother's funeral and allowed his contract to expire. He was approached by officials from New Japan who had renewed interest in him after seeing his Strong Style wrestling in ROH. Andy opted to make his MMA debut in Russia and Germany, performing three match obligations in both before resigning with NJPW. He redebute as a face fending off the Bullet Club to the fans delight, once again as Andy Mercier.

He would feud with the Bullet Club for weeks before turning heel on the fans and joining the faction. He swore off high risk moves to displease the fans, kept his opponents grounded and only used his MMA and Strong Style. He was given a major push due to the heat put on him and he finally claimed the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. After winning the strap he would personally proclaim himself "King of Strong Style" and enter into a feud with real life friend, Shinsuke Nakamura.

They would have a match for the Crown of the King of Strong Style that Andy would win, but only with help from the Bullet Club. Andy would go on to put more heat on himself. He would go so far as to claim that Shinsuke was nothing more than a poser and drew ire from fans and Antonio Inoki by announcing that after his next defense he would challenge Inoki for the original IWGP championship and would replace his belt with it. His next title defense would be against Shinsuke Nakamura in what would become an all or nothing match, the winner becoming the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and King of Strong Style.

On the day of the defense, Andy would have a scripted encounter with Yoshihiro Asai, better known as Ultimo Dragon, who had been signed by NJPW to help train high risk wrestlers. Ultimo would attempt to talk sense into Andy, having seen him perform, stating that he had too much talent to waste it as he was cheating and being dishonorable. The Bullet Club would appear and Ultimo would leave. Upon entering his competition, Andy would have nothing linking him to the Bullet Club and entered with the Ultimo Dragons own theme song.

He opted to take every high risk move he could to the delight of the fans. When it was apparent that he was losing, the Bullet Club came to interfere, only for Andy and Shinsuke to fend them off, effectively turning him face again. The two shook hands and continued competing in their match. Andy lost cleanly and would go to shake Shinsuke's hand, only for Shinsuke to turn heel, attacking Andy and making the same proclamation about the IWGP Heavyweight Championship he had.

Andy would go on to train diligently under Ultimo Dragon and had a year long run in NJPW with no titles, traveling to CMLL and ROH on a few separate occasions through Inner company collaborations before his contract with NJPW expired and he opted not to renew it again. He signed a developmental contract with the UFC and finally made his American television debute, winning five matches before deciding to return to his dream of being a professional wrestler.

Well, that's all guys!


	2. Chapter 2

Blitzkrieg 2.0

Andy Mercier stalked through the backstage of NXT, wearing the same attire as the prior week, except his shirt read Show No Mercier. receiving stares from the surrounding talent. He paused in his movements as his eyes caught those of Shinsuke Nakamura. Andy rolled his neck, cracking it loudly, though never breaking eye contact. "Shinsuke."

"Mercier." Shinsuke returned with a nod, having opted to use Andy's ring last name after his redebute in NJPW. Andy went to speak again, but was interrupted as Shinsuke turned an walked away.

"Andy Mercier!" Renee Young's voice echoed as she appeared to his left with a microphone in hand. "Sorry to interrupt you. Last week you arrived at NXT and attacked not only the Ascension, but Finn Balor who it appeared you were helping. Can you give us any insight into why you did what you did?"

"I'm not a bad guy." Andy responded simply. "And Finn, he's a nice guy. We've known each other for years. That, coupled with the fact that I like to stand up for the underdogs, is why I saved him. However, I needed to make a statement last week. I'm here, not for old friends, not for old teams, but for the NXT title and for the fans." A loud cheer reverberated through the arena as the NXT fans watched this on the Titantron. It grew even louder as Finn Balor appeared on the opposite side of Renee wearing his pre entrance gear and his belt around his waist.

"Quite a statement." Finn stated as he rubbed his right shoulder blade. "The chiropractor had a field day on my back." He joked, causing Andy to chuckle and lower his head slightly as he smiled. "All things considered, I get it. I don't like it, but I get it. Just know, if you are coming after the NXT championship, it's not going to be as simple to lay me out as it was last week. I'll be ready, and I won't be as trusting."

"I'll keep that mind, Finn. Just as long as you keep that title until I get to take it from you." Andy replied, somewhat lightheartedly. Finn nodded his head with a smirk before he began to walk away.

"Best of luck to you True Shooter. I'll be watching you closely. You fight tonight, right? Sami Zayne? Good luck." Finn called over his shoulder. Andy stared after him before chuckling. Placing his hand on Renee's shoulder he began to walk away.

"Love to stay and interview, but he's right. Sami Zayne's no joke. I have to get ready." With that, he too departed, leaving Renee on her own. He maneuvered to the men's locker room and changed into his ring gear before beginning to warm up for his match. He performed a few routines for MMA and Strong Style, stretched for any high risk moves and did some shadow boxing before an official came for him.

He walked through the halls, eyes on him once again as he pulled on what was needed for his entrance before he arrived at the gorilla position. He hopped back and forth in place as Sami Zayne made his entrance to the roar of the crowd. Andy felt a lump in his throat. He had wrestled on big stages for years, and fought televised MMA matches. But this was his dream. Walking to a WWE ring like he had first seen Stone Cold Steve Austin do so many years ago. This wasn't just jumping a barrier and sliding in a ring. This was his actual debut. The culmination of all his hard work.

Then, it happened, and he quit thinking. The crowd roared as "True Shooter" flashed on and off the titantron with flickers of lightning. Then, Crown of Thorns by Black Veil Brides blared through the arena. Andy burst from the Gorilla position with a war cry. The crowd responded in kind, and he smiled as all nervousness bled away. "And from Toronto Ontario Canada, Andy Mercier!" He was in his natural environment again.

Andy wore a set of black wrestling trunks with partial red spitting flames on the sides. On his arms he wore armbands to his upper biceps with downward red spitting flames on the outside. He wore black boots with black kick pads with upward red spitting flames on front. Over the kick pads he wore black knee pads with red strips at the top and bottom with Mercier stylized like teeth in a mouth over it. He wore a bandanna under his eyes going to his chest with Mercier stylized like teeth in a mouth. He also wore a black shirt with the same design except it sat on red spitting flames.

He walked to the right side of the stage, pointing his hand like a gun at the fans. He moved to the left side and performed the same motion.

He then moved to the center of the stage and dropped to one knee and rubbed the ground. As he raised his hand. He formed a gun with it before placing it against the side of his head. He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and pointing the hand gesture at Sami in the ring before "shooting" it. Slamming his hands on the ground he gave a yell of "Strong Style Shooter!" Before making his way down the ramp.

He walked to the end of the ramp before pausing. He then jerked his arms up, pointing his hands out like guns on either side of him like guns as the crowd yelled "Strong!". He turned and jumped a little back up the ramp raising his arms in the same manner as the crowd called "Style!". Andy spun around with a smug smirk before walking off the ramp and made his way to the stairs.

Just as he reached them though, he spun and jumped through the air. Twisting, he landed on one knee on the apron with his right arm grasping the second ring rope. He looked at the ground before looking directly at the camera and "shooting" at it with his hand. Standing to his feet he moved to the corner of the ring and climbed the turnbuckle. He bent his upper body down, letting it dangle, before he pulled up. Bending his back, he pointed his hand like a gun at Sami, "shooting it" while he, and a part of the crowd, yelled "Shoot 'em up!"

Sami chuckled in the ring as Andy remained on the turnbuckle, mouthing a 'cute' to him. Andy smirked in response before dropping into the ring. He bounced back and forth from foot to foot in place before he fell back into the turnbuckles, his arms on the upper rope and his legs crossed at his ankles. Crown of Thorns bled away and the fans roared in approval as the referee stepped in the middle of the ring, calling to each competitor.

Sami nodded in response, while Andy nodded his head from side to side as if listening to music before nodding yes to the referee. The bell rang and the crowd cheered wildly as Andy pushed from the turnbuckle and the competitors began to circle one another.

"And there they go folks, the bells rung and they're now circling one another, looking for their first oppening. On one side you see Sami Zayne, on the other Andy Mercier. Phillips, you want to give the fans at home some facts on Andy for those who don't know him. You know, since you know so much about wrestling overseas."

Andy and Sami closed the distance between one another, and Sami made to lock up. Andy spun, however, and attempted to kick his opponent who moved away quickly. The crowd made an 'oohing" noise. "Close call there for Sami. Yeah, Corey, I can give some information. Andy Mercier is a two time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, a one time CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, a one time ROH World Television Champion, a two time ROH World Tag Team Champion, and a one time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He's also the self proclaimed King of Strong Style wrestling."

Andy and Sami circled one another before finally locking up. The pushed back and forth trying to gain dominance. As it seemed Andy was being pushed to the ground, Andy's knee shot up and slammed into Sami's abdomen. The red head bent over, and his dark headed opponent slammed his knee into his chest two more times before Sami fell to the ground.

"And that'd why he makes that statement folks." Corey spoke as Andy circled Sami, who rolled forward before Jumping to his feet and slamming his fist into Andy's jaw. "He doesn't just talk the talk. He can pretty much back up everything he says." Andy stumbled as he held his face. Sami ran and pushed off of the ropes. As Andy regained his bearings, Sami used his body to launch himself into the air and perform a dropkick.

Andy flew across the mat as Sami quickly rebound his footing. Hitting the ropes against, his foot met Andy's face as he moved into a sitting position. Sami covered his opponent as he laid on his back. "Sami going for a quick cover here, but Andy Mercier kicking out at one! It's going to take a lot more to put him away."

Sami stood to his feet and grabbed Andy by the head, pulling him to his feet. The dark haired wrestler broke his opponents hold, grabbing Sami's own head before slamming his knees into his abdomen multiple times. Grabbing Sami's wrist, he Irish whipped him into the turnbuckle. Rushing after him, Andy leaped through the air and performed a high knee. Staying in the corner with one foot on the second rope, Andy delivered a combination of elbows and knees to Sami's skull. He dropped back down and let Sami fall to the mat, before the referee reached the disqualification count. "Andy Mercier has such a unique style, Corey."

As Sami found balance on his knees, Andy delivered three consecutive kicks to the chest that resounded throughout the arena. He went for a fourth, but Sami caught his leg. Jumping to his feet, Sami leg dragged his opponent to the ground. As Andy made to stand again, Sami's knee slammed into his face, knocking him on his back. Sami landed a couple of elbow drops to Andy before the dark haired one rolled away. Finding himself sitting against the turnbuckle, Sami's knee once again slammed into his face, this time with his head whipping back into the pads behind him. "Yeah, but you can't just count Sami Zayne out. He's top tier."

Sami pulled Andy up by his arm, but Andy elbowed his wrist. He turned and jumped onto the second rope before performing a missile dropkick to Sami. The red heads back hit the mat and he rolled to stand as Andy ran toward him. Sami grabbed his legs as he got close, dropping him to his back before Jumping over his body and Bridging a pin. "Sami for the win! One, two,no! Andy breaks it!" Andy rolled to his feet and Sami ran, grabbing his arm before performing a springboard DDT.

"And that leaves Andy sprawling. But not for long, the True Shooters getting back to his feet. But Sami's on the top rope! You might want to look out shooter!" Corey called out into his headphone as Sami Zayne performed a flying cross body into Andy. Sami quickly went for the cover, which Andy again broke at two. Before Sami could get to his feet, Andy rolled out from under him and placed him in an ankle lock.

"Sami's the one in pain now!"

"No lie! And listen to these fans! They're going crazy." The crowd roared loudly, each side alternating between 'let's go Sami' and 'let's go Andy'. "And Sami has fought to one foot, he's hopping for that top rope!" As Sami hopped, Andy pulled back on his foot. Sami's leg was trapped, bent, with his foot pressed against Andy's upper thigh as the dark headed wrestler's arms wrapped around the red head's waist.

"Wow! He just turned that ankle lock into a German suplex! Sami's rolled out of the ring, and he finds himself on the pavement." The referee began to count Sami out as Andy nodded his head to fans chanting "Shoot 'em up". Sami found his feet with the use of the barricade at the count of four. Andy bounded off the ropes on the opposite side of the ring before performing a flying Somersault Senton over the ropes, sending both combatants sprawling on the floor as the crowd began chanting "this is awesome".

"Did you see that, Corey!"

"I sure did, Phillips. Hopefully one of these two can get back in the ring and break that count though." Andy found his feet first and sliding back into the ring to break the count before climbing back out. As he reached for Sami, the red head grabbed him and brought him down on the barricade. The crowd roared in approval as Sami made his way close to the announce tables and Andy found his footing using the ring apron. Sami ran and performed a suicide dive through the turnbuckle, with the intention of performing a DDT. However, Andy jumped back and hit Sami with a side kick to the face that echoed loudly. The crowd screamed as Zayne slumped to the floor.

"These two men are going to war!" Corey crowed as Andy picked Sami up and pushed him into the ring, before sliding in and lying on his back breathing heavily.

"They both have something to prove, Corey. Sami lost a NXT title match to Finn Balor last week and picking off an international superstar like Andy Mercier off would get him right back on track. On the other hand, this is Andy Mercier's debut and he needs to put himself on the map."

Both men found their footing. Sami punched Andy in the face and bounded back against the ropes. Andy followed quickly and bounded off the ropes right behind Sami. As the red head stopped in the middle of the ring, Andy jumped through the air and hit a Sling Blade on his opponent. Andy hesitated on the ground for a moment before forcing himself to his feet.

He reached down and grabbed Sami by the head and pressed his hand against the side like a gun, pretending to "shoot" Sami as the crowd screamed loudly in anticipation of what was to come next. Andy picked Sami up by his head, but Sami kicked him in the gut before landing Blue Thunder Bird on his opponent. "Oh my God! That's got to be it Corey!" Phillips cried as Sami fell to his knees and then his back. Sami lay there a moment, staring at the ceiling before rolling over and pinning his opponent. "And that's it! 1, 2, Andy kicked out! This match is still going!"

Sami sat in the ring, a shocked expression on his face as he mumbled something to himself as he looked at two fingers. "There's so much heart in this match!" Sami stood to his feet before grabbing Andy's arm and dragging him to his feet. However, as he reached his feet the newer wrestler rolled across the mat, breaking the hold. He performed a spinning back kick to Sami's abdomen before Irish whipping him into a turnbuckle. Andy ran behind him and flew through the air for a body splash. Sami dropped to the side and Andy's body slammed into the corner. As he spun around from the impact, his head whipped backward as Sami Zayne hit him with a Helluva Kick.

"That's it Phillips! Valiant effort by Andy Mercier but he lost this debut!" Corey spoke as Sami dropped down to pin him. "1,2 and, no! Andy Mercier just kicked out on instinct Phillips! Look at Sami's face! He can't believe this!"

"Neither can these fans Corey!" Phillips responded as the fans chanted 'Holy shit'.

"Always very vocal for the wrestlers are these NXT fans." Corey returned as Sami shook his head and picked Andy up, placing him in the corner. "It looks like Sami's setting up for another Helluva Kick. If he gets it, I don't see Andy kicking out even on instinct." The red haired wrestler turned and made to get some distance from his opponent. However, Andy shot out of the corner and forced Sami's arms across his chest in an X as he performed a straight jacket back breaker.

"A straight jacket back breaker! That's the same move he laid Finn Balor out with last week!"

"Yeah, but it doesn't look like he has enough energy to make the cover!" Andy laid on his back before rolling over and using the turnbuckle to very slowly crawl to his feet. The crowds chant of "Shoot 'em up" became deafening as Andy turned and found Sami fighting to his knees. He released a cry of "Shot down!" Before rushing across the ring and violently slamming his knee into his opponents skull in a kinshasa.

"Dear God! He calls that Andy's out, because that definitely knocks them out!" Corey called as Andy dropped to his knees and covered Sami. "1,2 and 3! He did it! Andy Mercier just beat Sami Zayne in his NXT debut!" He cried out as Crown of Thorns blared through the arena and the fans roared in approval. Andy lay on the mat, staring at the ceiling before fighting to his feet. He laughed as he "shot" at the still dazed Sami before shooting at the crowd. They grew even louder as he climbed the ropes, celebrating with them. As he jumped down, he noticed Sami fighting to his feet. His music bled away as he moved to Sami.

"Oh no. I hope he's not looking to make another statement." Andy reached down, helping Zayne to his feet by his shoulders. As he regained his bearings, his former opponent stuck out his hand. Sami glanced back and forth to the crowd who cheered in approval before he extended his own and shook Andy's hand.

"Nope! Not tonight! Nothing but sportsmanship and respect after what those two just put each other through!" Andy clapped Sami on the shoulder as Sami's theme played before the red head left the ring. As he exited the stage, Crown of Thorns returned as Andy lifted his arms, his hands taking on the too sweet hand gesture.

This was his moment.

Suddenly, his arms were forced across his chest in an X and he was hit with a straight jacket back breaker. "Dear God! Finn Balor just laid Andy Mercier out!" Corey called out.

"Well, you make enemies and you deal with them." Phillips replied, echoing his comment from the week prior.

"I don't think they're enemies Phillips. More like frenemies." Corey responded as Finn climbed the turnbuckle before Jumping off and slamming his feet into Andy's abdomen. "Oh! Coup De Grace! Maybe I'm wrong."

Finn stared down at Andy before reaching down and grabbing his NXT championship from where he had dropped it when entering behind Andy. "Finn Balor making his own statement tonight."

"That's right, and that statement said this, 'Welcome to NXT. I missed you pal. But this is my ring. And this is my title."

"That's all for NXT folks. Join us next time to see how this all unfolds. Goodnight." NXT faded from the air with Finn Balor standing over Andy Mercier with his NXT title held high in one hand and his other forming the same too sweet gesture Andy's had moments before.

XXX

That's all folks! Oc applicants ARE open!


	3. Chapter 3

Blitzkrieg 3.0

Andy Mercier moved through the halls of NXT wearing a 'Balor Club' tee shirt, black combat pants and a pair of black combat boots. Over his shoulder he had slung a duffel bag, and he appeared to be chewing on a piece of gum. "Mercier, wait up!" A voice called, prompting him to halt in place. Turning around, he found Finn Balor approaching him in a Balor Club tee shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.

"Finn." Andy spoke with a nod.

"Hey mate, love the shirt, no hard feelings between us right? You got me, I got you. I don't want to turn this jumping each other thing into a weekly habit. The fans want fair wrestling." Andy stared at Finn for a moment before smiling, lowering his head and nodding as he chuckled.

"No, you're right." He stated. "Alls fair in titles and war, but we're even. We go back a ways, Finn, and you're a friend. Even though I'm here for the fans, I'd prefer to keep my friends. I made a business statement, and you did too. Nothing personal about it."

"I'm glad you see it that way. We have a tag team match against the Ascension next week, and we'll need to work together to beat them. You took 'em by surprise a couple weeks ago, but they're a well oiled machine."

"Yeah, I get it. I'll do my homework this week. I need to go get ready for tonight. See you around Finn." Finn nodded in response as Andy began walking away.

"You too True Shooter. Take care of yourself, and good luck out there. Can't have you getting injured before I beat you in a title defense!" Andy laughed in response as he waved his hand over his shoulder. As they faded from the screen of the titantron, the crowed roared in approval.

"It's a good thing those two are able to come together for next week." Corey stated. "Because Finn's right, the Ascension are no joke."

"I'm not sure them coming together will have any effect. The Ascension are an actual team, who work together on a regular bases and they're going to be gunning for Finn Balor and Andy Mercier. You know-"

"Wait, let me guess, you make enemies and then you deal with them?"

"You are correct sir."

Andy sat back in the men's locker room in his ring attire, preparing for his match. A loud slam echoed from the television behind him and he turned to watch the action. His eyes widened as the screen showed Finn Balor being dominated by the Ascension. He rushed from his locker room, down the hall and through the gorilla position. Crown of Thorns blared loudly through the arena as Andy ran down the ramp to a roar of approval from the crowd. The Ascension stood, waiting in the ring as he slid in.

"You have to give props to him for coming down to save Finn, but you also have to think why? He has a match tonight, and he'll be fighting the Ascension next week! Going through with this, he might not make it to either one!" Andy faces down the Ascension, who glared angrily. They marched forward, and Andy rolled forward across the mat between them. Jumping to his feet he spun and kicked Viktor in the skull, knocking him of balance.

He ducked under a punch from Konnor and grabbed him by the back of the head and kneed him in the skull multiple times. He then lifted the larger man onto his shoulders for a Go 2 Sleep. "We saw this when Andy first showed up! He calls this Ride the Mercier!" Viktor slammed into Andy from behind, knocking him prone onto the ground as Konnor's body rolled over his head. Viktor helped his fellow Ascension member to his feet before they dragged Andy to his. Launching him into the ropes, the Ascension caught him with one hand each on his chest and one hand each holding a leg. They lifted him high into the air before slamming him down to the mat. Hard.

Konnor and Viktor stood over their fallen targets bodies before they cleared the ring as officials ran to the ring to check on the two competitors and help them to the back.

"And the Ascension proving why they are such a dominant force here tonight."

"You got that right. But you have to wonder Phillips, Finn Balor just had a match. But Andy Mercier has yet to compete. He still has a match tonight. Will he be able to make it now."

"We'll just have to wait and see Corey, but I wouldn't bet my money on seeing Andy back out here tonight."

Andy winced slightly as he felt the back of his ribs. After he had disappeared from the stage and officials had directed him to the trainers room. Once he had been cleared to compete, he had made his way to the gorilla position. He now stood in place as Sami Zayne made his entrance. His music bled away as Crown of Thorns blared to a huge pop. Andy burst from the curtains and rushed to the ramp with his hand formed like a gun at Sami as the crowd roared. He smirked before dropping to one knee. He kept his "gun" trained on Sami and nodded before shooting at him. Slamming his hands on the ground, he yelled "Strong Style Shooter!" Before making his way down the ramp. He paused at the end of the ramp, raising his arms as the crowd yelled "Strong!" Then he turned and rushed back up doing so again as they yelled "Style!" He looked to his left before untying his bandanna and walking to a young boy wearing a "Ride the Mercier" tee shirt, and tied his around his face, to the boy's awe and excitement before walking to the ring and jumping on the apron. He moved and climbed the turnbuckle, performing his "hanging draw" As he yelled "Shoot 'em up!". He hesitated on the turnbuckle before removing his shirt and tossing it to the crowd. He then jumped into the ring, bouncing back and forth on his feet before falling into the corner as he did the prior week.

"And here we are folks! A rematch from last week, Sami Zayne versus Andy Mercier. Phillips, you have to see this as a must win for Sami."

"Oh yeah, he lost to Finn Balor in a title match two weeks ago, and to Andy Mercier in his debut last week. He definitely has everything to prove in his mind tonight."

The bell rang and the two combatants circled each other before locking up as the crowd chanted "Please be awesome!". Sami twisted Andy's arm behind him from this position and they moved forward before Andy rolled across the mat, breaking the hold. He made a swipe for Sami's legs, but the red head jumped over it and made a kick that collided with Andy's ribs. The dark haired man stumbled to the side with one hand clutching them, his teeth clenched and his back arched. Sami wrapped his arm around Andy's neck before he proceeded to knee the ribs multiple times.

"And how smart is that, Corey? Targeting those ribs? You can see the bruising from the impact where the Ascension planted Andy earlier."

"Oh, it's a great strategy. Andy's definitely not at one hundred percent from the get go, and Sami needs to realize that. Andy has a very unique style and if you've seen his work over seas, but if you can take those ribs down then I don't know if there's much he can do through the pain."

Sami tossed Andy across the ring before rushing to slam his knee into his face. Andy fell to his back, allowing the knee to sail straight overhead. He jumped to his feet before grabbing Sami by the shoulders and drove his back into his knees. "Oh! A vicious backbreaker! That puts some serious pain in Sami's back." Andy felt at his ribs as Sami made to stand to his feet. The dark haired wrestler bounded off the ropes and made to knee Sami in the face, but the man dodged. As Sami got to his feet, he turned and found a yakuza kick to the face as Andy had bounded off the ropes again. Both men hit the mat and Andy writhed from the impact on his ribs.

"Those ribs and his back look like it's seriously hindering Andy here tonight."

"No doubt about that. Just look at his face. The pain is obvious there." Sami and Andy both found their footing, and Sami ducked under a spinning back kick. Kicking Andy in the abdomen, he bounded off the ropes and sent Andy to the mat with a dropkick. Sami nodded his head to cheers from the crowd. Andy sat up, only for a vicious kick to slam into his chest, sending him back to the mat. Sami pumped his fist in the air before Jumping to the top turnbuckle. As his opponent got to his feet, Sami flew through the air with a flying cross body.

The red head rolled across the mat before jumping to his feet. He picked Andy up and launched him against the ropes. He went for another dropkick, but hit the mat as Andy caught himself on the top rope. As Sami shot back up, Andy flew through the air with a Calf kick. They both fell again and Andy felt the bruising on his body. He rolled to his feet and bounced in place to take his mind off the pain. He picked Sami up, but the wrestler kicked his ribs, breaking his hold. Sami then grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the corner for a springboard DDT.

"Oh! The impact from the is just deadly! Andy's rolled out of the ring. I really don't think he knows where he is right now!"

"After something like that, I don't know if there's anybody that would, Corey." Sami stood in place, bouncing excitedly as Andy fought to gain his bearings, and footing. He bounded off the ropes at the count of six as his opponent stood up, flying over the top rope with his arms and legs extended. His body met Andy's and they crashed into the floor. "A Tope con Hilo! Andy's down here!" Phillips called as Sami slid in to break the count before climbing onto the apron. Andy fought to his feet, only to be sent sprawling again as Sami performed an Arabian press.

The crowd erupted into a chant of "Yes! Yes! Yes! This is awesome!". Sami made to grab Andy, but he was caught by his waist and his legs tripped from under him, making his face slam into the barricade. Andy crawled away from Sami, happy for the reprieve. He used the apron to help him to his feet and turned to find Sami. He found him performing a suicide dive through the turnbuckle before grabbing him and turning it into a DDT. "Oh! Another DDT! And any might just be out here!" Sami picked his opponent up and slid him into the ring before following behind him. He pinned Andy. "For the win! 1,2, and there's Andy's instinct that we saw last week, kicking out at the last second!" Sami shook his head before he turned and made to climb the turnbuckle.

As he did so, Andy jumped up, grabbing his ankle and dragging him to the middle of the ring in an ankle lock. Sami screamed in pain as he fought for the lower rope. "And there's that ankle lock we saw last week! He's putting extra torque on it tonight. Sami may have no choice but to tap here!"

"Yeah, he's not liking that idea. He's fought to one foot!" Andy pulled back on Sami's ankle, performing a German suplex like the previous week. This time, he bridged it into a pin. "Andy with a pin of his own! 1, 2 and no! Sami's out of it!" Andy stumbled to his feet, grabbing Sami by the shoulders and lifting him up. The red head struck out with his arms, breaking the hold before placing his arm across his chest and dropping him to the mat before rolling.

"Sami's got him in the Koji Clutch! Andy might be the one with no choice but to tap here!" Phillips called. Andy's arm dangled in the air as it looked like he was going to tap. Then, he clenched it into a fist and began pushing off the mat, transitioning Sami onto his shoulders. "My God, the fight in Andy Mercier! This is only his second match in NXT Corey but you can't help but be impressed." Andy performed a Go 2 Sleep, slamming his knee into Sami's skull. Sami fell to the mat and Andy's body fell limp over him.

"Oh! That's his Ride the Mercier! 1,2, Sami Zayne kicks out at the last possible millisecond! Andy's not even moving here Phillips! Neither man seems capable of capitilizing!" Andy stirred and was the first to his feet. He slowly picked Sami up, but a shoulder thrust to the gut forced him to release him. Sami Irish whipped him into the corner and followed closely for a Helluva Kick. Andy dodged at the last possible second, allowing Sami to get caught in the corner with his leg over the top rope. Andy lurched to his feet and dragged Sami onto his shoulders in a torture rack style before landing a Ura Go 2 Sleep.

"And Andy hits an inverted Ride the Mercier!" Corey called as Sami fell limp and Andy dropped to one knee. He took a few breaths and grabbed Sami's leg before dragging him from the for a pin. "Andy for the win! 1,2 and yes! 3! Andy did it despite the attack on him earlier tonight!" Crown of Thorns blared as Andy rolled off of Sami to stare at the ceiling. His breathing was heavy and his ribs screamed in pain. He forced himself to his feet to the approval of the crowd. He smiled in victory and took a drawing stance and pointing his hand like a gun at the crowd. Then, he was blindsided by a double clothesline from behind, his face smashing into the canvas as his music died. Viktor delivered a few kicks to his back as Konnor threw Sami through the ropes to the pavement below. Viktor bounded Andy off of the ropes and he was caught in the same attack that laid him out earlier that night.

The Ascension weren't done, and picked him up. With his arms over their shoulders and an arm each of theirs wrapped over his chest and around his neck, they lifted him high into the air before slamming him to the mat. "The Ascension just laid waste to Andy for the second time tonight. He might need some help."

"Well, you make enemies and you deal with them. Goodnight from NXT folks."

The show faded as the Ascension's music played with them standing triumphantly over Andy as officials rushed to the ring. A camera man and Renee Young would catch up with him for NXT access as he was being helped through the halls to the trainer's room. "Andy, the Ascension attacked you not once, but twice tonight. They also attacked Finn Balor, who was reported to suffer a minor concussion and will be out for the week. With you and him being supposed to team together to face the Ascension next week, where does that leave you?"

"Renee, the Ascension messed up tonight. You see, Finn Balor has a demon that they unleashed. But me? I'm the King of Strong Style. What I'm going to do to them next week will make them think I'm the one with the demons. And don't worry. I'll find a partner to replace Finn. Maybe Shinsuke Nakamura?"

"That would be great, but Shinsuke has a scheduled match next week." Andy chuckled in response as he lowered his head and leaned heavily against the man holding him up.

"Then I guess we'll have to wait and see who I pop up with? Now, if you'll excuse me, I think my ribs might be bruised." With that, Andy was helped off camera before Renee turned to face it.

"Well, there you have it. Will Andy find a partner to help him deal with the Ascension? Will he even be fit to compete after tonight? Tune into NXT next week to find out!"

Later that week, Andy found himself Stalking through the halls of Smackdown wearing Bullet Club tee shirt since he wasn't to be on screen, blue jeans and white high tops with the rising sun painted on them. All eyes seemed to be on him due to his unnanounced appearance. He paused and looked around, trying to find the men's locker room. A loud noise caused him to look over.

"-He just arrived in NXT but he's setting WWE on fire with his selling matches with Sami Zayne. I'm Adam from WhatCulture and this ten things you probably didn't know about Andy Mercier." The noise came from a female wrestler watching youtube on her phone as she waited for her match.

She had natural dark red hair, ocean blue eyes and a natural Golden Hawaiian Suntan. She was wearing a black leather bolero jacket, a white and pink zebra striped sequin tank top, blue jean capris, and white ankle socks and white Nike sneakers.

"Number ten, you'll often hear him billed from London England, Paris France, Toronto Ontario Canada and even the rare Osaka Japan. But did you know Andy Mercier was actually born in the United States of America?" Her name was Brianna Kelly, a new addition to WWE if he wasn't mistaken. "Number nine, he didn't think he belonged in wrestling because of his small height and weight, which leads us to number seven! He took up MMA before ever attempting wrestling."

Andy walked toward the female wrestler, who was still unaware of his presence. "At number six, he debut as Mach Degray in New Japan and completely floundered. He was an absolute mess and a complete botch fest! Number five, you may have seen Andy Mercier perform as Andy Degray in UFC, that's his real name, winning five matches

But did you know he's also won six other MMA matches? Three in Germany and three in Russia. At number four we find that Andy credits his current style, bar his MMA, completely to Ultimo Dragon and Shinsuke Nakamura. Both of whom he met in new Japan. Yep, NJPW is the place to be folks."

Andy leaned over the wrestler's shoulder to watch the rest of the video silently. "Number three, he had a shoot match in Ring of Honor. His opponent no sold his moves and continuously stiff shot him, and Andy chose to punish him with his legit MMA and Strong Style background. This cost him a run with the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. Two, his last fight in UFC got very heated and personal. So personal that Andy would go out and play soccer and pretend that the ball... was his opponents head. There ya go. And the number one thing that you probably didn't know about Andy Mercier is, he could have debut in WWE sooner! He chose not to so he could have a heel run in NJPW and only decided to join after both Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura, two real life friends, had joined the company. Well there you have it guys! Ten things you probably didn't know about Andy Mercier! Be sure to like and subscribe."

"Andy Mercier huh?" The dark haired man spoke, causing the female wrestler, Brianna, to jump slightly, though she still didn't look at him.

"Yeah. To be honest, I don't know anything about him. The first time I saw him was his NXT debut."

"Yeah, I've spent most of my career in New Japan." Andy sympathized with a nod as Brianna looked up at him in surprise.

"Oh! I'm so sorry." She apologized as she stood to her feet.

"Don't worry about it. Maybe you can help me though. I'm looking for the men's locker room." Brianna nodded in response before pointing down the hall.

"Sure. Down the hall to the right." Andy nodded in response and walked away with a wave of his hand as an official came and retrieved Brianna for her match. Andy entered the locker room and began searching for a surprise partner for his next NXT match. However, as he went through the wrestlers there, he found that most of them didn't want to 'lower' themselves to a NXT level and it seemed he actually would be without a partner. He was prepared to leave when a large man, about 6'5" and around two hundred pounds walked toward him.

He had dark brown, almost chocolate like, skin. He had black hair cut into a Mohawk at the back along with shaved sides. He had almond shaped eyes that were dark brown. He had long eyelashes, long arms and legs and a rounded head. He also had a black chin curtain. He wore a pair of white trunks with black skulls outlined along both legs with initials on the bandana that has a Great Britain flag placed on the logo. He also taped his hands with white tape that had tally marks on his upper hand. He also wore a pair of long black boots. He wore a black t-shirt that had initials in a tiger print with claws coming from them. He had a tattoo on the front of his neck of seventeen in roman numerals. He also had a tattoo of a tree branching out along his entire arm. "Andy Mercier." The man spoke in a slight British accent.

"You know me?"

"Sure. Everybody knows you." The man replied simply.

"Not everybody." He returned, thinking of the woman that had been watching her phone.

"I don't see why not. But I've actually followed you for a while. You see, I came here to America from Manchester when I was younger, and I saw the debute of the Undertaker. It was amazing, and when I got back to Manchester I began training in a gym learning several styles. Wrestling became my dream. And then I stumbled upon you by accident. A well trained 'UK' MMA fighter tearing it up in New Japan. You're not the reason im here, but because of that, I realized my dream was achievable and worked everyday to get here. Four months after my debut and I might be getting a run for gold soon."

"Well I'm always happy to see someone who works hard achieve their dreams... I'm sorry. I actually don't know your name. I don't really watch Smackdown."

"That's alright. I'm Jordan Jermaine Sterling. Just call me Jordan." Andy nodded in response as he moved to the door.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Jordan. Good luck, mate. I'll see you around."

"Hold on." Jordan called. "I hear you're looking for a partner to take on the Ascension at NXT. You still looking?"

Andy paused in the doorway, holding the door open before he looked over his shoulder. "I might be. You think you have what it takes?" Jordan smirked in response as he moved through the door.

"I have a match next. Why don't you hang out back here. Maybe you'll learn a thing or two about striking from a true English man." Andy chuckled in response as he returned to the locker room and sat in front of a tv.

Riot by Three Days Grace wound up through the arena as the crowd cheered. "From Manchester England, Jordan Sterling!" On the TV, Jordan slowly approached the stage with the lights out before he turned his back to the fan. The lights shot on, and he had a focused look on his face as he began wringing his hands. Reaching the ramp, he dropped to one knee and screamed "One man enters and one man leaves!" He bent his body so the camera could see his face before jumping on the apron. He then ran the ropes, tossing his shirt to the crowd before entering the ring and facing his opponent. He was set to compete against AJ Styles.

The bell rang and the two locked up. AJ quickly lost the test of strength and Jordan landed three vicious knees to his side before tossing him across the ring. "Wow, Jordan Sterling asserting his dominance early in the match here King." Michael Cole's voice filtered through his head set.

"Oh yeah. The strength we see from this guy week in and week out is, no offence to AJ, but phenomenal! And his style is so unique!" Styles bounded of the ropes and landed a flying elbow to Jordan's face, causing him to go to one knee. AJ went for a knee to the face, but Jordan caught his leg. The dark skinned man stood up and hip tossed Styles before mounting his chest and delivering swift strikes to his face.

"No kidding. This guy is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Muai Thai and Judo. Those strikes AJ is taking are downright lethal, King." Jordan stood to his feet before looking at his wrist tape, as if there was a watch there and he was waiting for the match to end. He reached down to pick up AJ, but Styles broke the hold and delivered a spinning elbow. Jordan stumbled slightly and AJ hit him with a dropkick, finally sending him to the mat. AJ jumped to his feet with a war cry and kicked Jordan across the chest twice before Jordan caught his foot. He pulled the leg between his arm and side up to AJs leg, glaring angrily.

"You can hear those gears turning in his head Cole." King announced before Jordan released a flurry of lethal strikes and kicks, sending AJ sprawling to his stomach. Jordan dropped down, wrapping an arm around Style's neck before delivering a few knee strikes to the top of his skull. Jordan dragged AJ to his feet, only for the long haired man to knee him in his side. Jordan released his hold, and AJ hit a side kick to his jaw that sent him back to one knee. AJ rushed the ropes and performed a springboard back elbow drop that sent Jordan to his back. Jordan rolled to his feet and was kicked in the gut, forcing him to bend over. AJ was quick to hit him with the Styles Clash.

"Oh! That happened so quick! Jordan's lethal, but I don't know if he's getting up from that! There's the cover! 1, kick out at one! Jordan's not even going to let the count get to two!" Jordan was picked up by Styles and Irish whipped into the corner. AJ ran and threw him to the mat before jumping to the top rope. As Jordan stood to his feet, AJ leapt for a flying double axe handle, only to recieve a harsh uppercut. AJ stumbled back and forth on his feet, dazed as Jordan bounded off the ropes and hit him with a Spear. "Oh, an M16! That could be the beginning of the end!" Jordan roared at the crowd, who roared back as he moved to the corner, Stalking his opponent. As Styles found his way to his hands and knees, Jordan delivered a devastating punt kick to his skull before going for a cover.

"From London With Love! And he's going for the cover! 1,2 and Jordan Sterling picks up the win over AJ Styles!" Cole cried as Riot rang out through the arena. Jordan stood to his feet with a smug smile on his face before looking directly at the camera and aiming his hand like a gun at it, much like Andy Mercier would.

Backstage, Andy nodded with a chuckle. "Alright. Get ready Ascension. NXT's going to be a knockout this week."

XXX

That's all for this chapter! I don't own Brianna Kelly, she's RebeccaJoleneAumanWilson's oc or Jordan Jermaine Sterling he's ThatKiddJordy's oc! I hope I did them some justice!


	4. Chapter 4

Blitzkrieg 4.0

Andy walked through NXT'S halls with a smug smirk planted on his face and a certain swagger to his step. He wore a Balor Club shirt with the name Mercier stylized like a bullet striking through Balor, a pair of blue jeans and white converse with the rising sun painted on them. Like the previous week he carried a duffel bag on his shoulder and chewed heavily on a piece of gum. Renee Young popped up in front of him, causing him to jump back slightly in surprise. "Andy Mercier!" She spoke loudly into the mic with a smile.

"Do you... sit around corners all day waiting for people to walk by?" Andy questioned, drawing a laugh from Renee before she turned serious once again.

"Last week you were attacked by the Ascension, twice and Finn Balor was given a concussion that puts him out of action tonight. That leaves you without a partner for your match tonight against the Ascension. The question on a lot of people's minds is, do you have a partner for tonight?" Andy stood still for a moment before clicking his tongue and chuckling.

"That's a great question, Renee. Does Andy Mercier have a partner? Is he going in solo? Well, the unsurprising answer is that I have a partner. Who? Well, that's a secret for later tonight. But, I'll let you and the fans, even the Ascension, in on something." Andy reached out and took Renee's microphone to her surprise before looking directly into the camera. "Viktor. Konnor. Since you're so keen on ripping off the Undertaker and the Brothers of Destruction... I found someone who's real familiar with the Undertaker. So when we lay you to rest tonight, we'll have caskets already ready for you. Because what we're going to do to you tonight, well, it's going to be... tragic." Andy handed the microphone back to Renee with an insider joke wink. "Have a good night, Renee." He spoke before walking off, whistling a tune that sounded suspiciously like Kane's theme song.

He traveled to the locker room, pausing as he found Dana Broke and Emma standing outside. "Can I help you two?" Andy questioned as he moved again, going to the door. "Do you need me to find somebody in here?"

"No, we were looking for you." Emma replied sweetly as Andy crinkled his nose at her black lipstick.

"Me?"

"Yeah." Dana picked up. "We hadn't got to introduce ourselves to the new guy, and since we run this place, we thought it'd be nice to do. I like your accent. What is it? British? Irish? French?"

"All of the above. Well, thanks for coming to 'introduce yourselves', but I have a match tonight that I need to get ready for." He made to enter the men's locker room but stopped as Emma reached out and placed her hand on top of his head.

"Oh, I know you do." She spoke. "And so do I. And I wanted to extend an invitation for you to come watch it at commentary."

"First off, don't... don't do that." Andy responded as he brushed Emma's arm away awkwardly. "Second, who was it you're fighting again? The NXT Women's champion?"

"Yes." Emma returned with a huff, angry at having her arm brushed off and having her opponent brought up. Andy leaned in close to her with a smile, his eyes squinted.

"I'll be there, but I'll give you a heads up. Asuka's gonna kill you." Dana and Emma released frustrated grunts at him, making what should have been imposing hand gestures at him before stomping away. Andy chuckled in response before entering the locker room. He spent most of his time gearing up before an official came for him. He nodded to the man before making his way to the gorilla position. He bounced in place as his opponents walked to the ring, catching a glimpse of his partner before the lights cut out in the arena. Finn Balor's theme played and the fans roared as Andy walked into the darkness. He stood at the top of the stage, his head lowered, flashing lights only giving the fans glimpses of him. Then, Finn's theme faded away and the lights blared to life as Crown of Thorns played.

Andy wore a pair of plain black trunks, black boots and kick pads and black knee pads. His wrists were tapped to his forearm with white tape and he had white strips on his fingers. A white punisher skull was painted on his face with black paint on his sockets, for the skulls nose and lines making the teeth. The Black paint shaped the skull and covered the rest of his face, traveling down his neck and shoulders, and down to his abdomen making a black punisher skull with what Forming the inside of the eye socket and nose and outlining the black. The crowd roared in approval as they realized it was Andy Mercier standing on stage with a microphone, his paint paying homage to his would be partner, Finn Balor.

"Stop the music." Andy spoke into his microphone as Crown of Thorns died away. "Well, Ascension, I told you that I had a partner and that we were going to do something... tragic to you. And I don't lie. So here he is." Andy dropped the microphone and every waited with baited breath. The Ascension glanced around to make sure no one was sneaking up on them.

"Well? Does he have a partner?" As soon as the words left Phillips mouth, Riot by Three Days Grace blared and the crowd leaped from their seats as Jordan Sterling walked from the curtains to stand shoulder to shoulder with Andy. "That's Jordan Sterling from Smackdown! With these twos styles they can be a lethal combination!" Andy glanced to Jordan before looking back to the ring. He raised his hand like a gun at the Ascension as both wrestlers dropped to one knee. There was a hesitation before Andy nodded his head and shot at them. He slammed his hands to the ground and the two got to their feet in their own ways, their cries of "Strong Style Shooter!" And "One man enters and one man leaves!" Mixing together.

They made their way down the ramp, and paused at the end. Andy lifted his hands like guns as part of the crowd called "Strong!" While a part chose to yell "One man!". He turned and rushed back up a little, doing the same motion as the crowd called "Style!" With more yelling "One man!" This time. And turned and held a smug smirk as Jordan bent his body so the camera saw his face. The two leapt onto the apron in their own ways. Andy climbed the turnbuckle and performed his hanging draw while yelling 'Shoot em up!' As Jordan raced the ropes. Andy jumped into the ring and bounced in place as Jordan entered the ring before Andy fell back into the turnbuckle.

"What an exciting entrance that was. These fans are pumped up, Phillips." Corey spoke as Jordan and Konnor exited the rings on their respective sides before the bell rang. "Andy and Viktor starting the match off here." The two began circling each other in the ring, Andy darting forward a few times causing Viktor to back up each time. Andy stopped circling and began chuckling as the crowd started a chant of 'Andy's gonna kill you!'. Viktor snarled in anger and made for a clothesline. Andy ducked down underneath it and spun, performing a Calf kick as his opponent spun. Viktor hit the ground but quickly found his footing and landed a stiff shot to Andy's face.

"I don't know if that style will work here Corey." Phillips spoke as Viktor screamed at Andy. Andy faces him and screamed back. Viktor went for another clothesline that Andy ducked once again. As his opponent turned, he grabbed him by the back of his neck and rammed his knees into Viktor's skull multiple times before shoving him to the ground. Andy descended on him from the side, slamming his knees into his targets side, back and head. Viktor scrambled to his feet, only for Andy to wrap his arm around the man's neck and land hard shots to his skull from behind. "This is that MMA and Strong Style background that we really haven't seen a lot of yet." Konnor reached out, tagging Andy in the back of the head as he got too close. Viktor spun as he was released before finally landing his clothesline. He pounded the mat and screamed before picking Andy up. Before the smaller could break the hold, he was violently slammed into the mat. Viktor tagged in Konnor who immediately began stomping away at Andy.

The smaller of the two was picked up and Suplexed into the corner turnbuckle. "Oh, and now that they're rolling, the Ascension are doing what they do best. Ripping and shredding." Konnor screamed at Andy as the crowd booed heavily. He picked his opponent up and landed three short arm clotheslines before tossing Andy across the ring. Konnor made to pick him up again, but received a knee to the skull from the ground. As he stumbled, and jumped up and violently kneed his abdomen multiple times. Konnor was Irish whipped into Andy and Jordan's corner. Andy leaped through the air and landed a high knee to his opponents face. He slapped Jordan's up raised hand and began a combo of elbows and knees to Konnor's skull. Jordan entered the ring and landed stiff shot to his opponents abdomen as Andy did so. The smallest Male flipped over the top rope and to the apron before he was disqualified. Jordan grabbed Connor by the wrist and jerked him out of the corner like he was going to perform a clothesline, but instead slammed his fist into the man's face. Konnor's body hit the mat and he fell backward into the corner again. Jordan tagged Andy in as he began Kneeing Konnor in the face. Andy raced across the ring and performed a springboard high knee to Viktor's face, sending him flying off the apron. He dropped to the mat and rushed back, ramming his knee into Konnor's face as he tagged in Jordan. The teammates performed a combo of knee strikes to the man's skull before Andy exited the ring as the fans chanted 'Jordan's gonna kill you!'

"I don't know about the Ascension's chances here anymore. Andy and Jordan are destroying them." Jordan forced the man to his feet and delivered multiple shots to his abdomen. He made to hip flip the man, but Konnor raked his eyes and stumbled across the ring to his partner. Viktor rushed across the ring and clotheslined Jordan as he was tagged in. Viktor picked him up and landed a sidewalk slam, knocking the air out of him. The Ascension member screamed at Andy who stood on the apron. He picked Jordan up and performed a suplex that resounded loudly. He made to pick Jordan up again, but a violent shot to his jaw stopped that. Viktor fumbled on his feet and Jordan speared him backward into the corner. Andy reached over the rope and tagged his back before Jumping the rope and Kneeing Viktor's skull. Viktor fell out of the corner and to the mat. Andy grabbed his head and placed his hand like a gun next to it, Shooting it as the crowd went wild. Andy forced Viktor's arms over his chest in an X. Konnor rushed inside to save his partner but was hit by a Spear from Jordan.

"An M16!" Corey called as the referee stepped back with his hands on his head, realizing he had lost control of the situation.

"Followed by a straight jacket back breaker!" Phillips yelled as Andy and Jordan laid out the Ascension. Jordan roared with half the crowd roaring back, and the other half echoing Andy's "Shot down!". As the Ascension fought to get to their feet, Andy landed a kinshasa on Konnor while Jordan punt kicked Viktor in the skull. "A simultaneous Andy's out and From London With Love!" Andy picked Viktor up and hit a backbreaker before flipping him over his body into a Bridging crossface as Jordan placed Konnor in a Hell's Gate. "And now another simultaneous Maneuver! Those are called the Show No Mercier and Bloody Hell respectively."

"Yeah, and that's it! The ref is calling for the bell!" Corey crowed as Crown of Thorns played through the arena. Andy and Jordan stood over the downed forms of the Ascension before looking at the camera. They both aimed their hands like guns and shot at the camera as Crown of Thorns bled away into Riot. Andy and Jordan tapped their fists together like MMA fighters about to fight before Jordan left the ring and the Ascension was helped by officials. Andy received a water bottle, towel and a tee shirt from a crewman at ring side. He poured the water over his skull before drinking the rest as he exited the ring. He then used the towel to wipe off what paint he could before sliding the tee shirt, a Mercier Club tee shirt, on and taking a seat at the commentary table.

"Hey there Andy! Great match and welcome to commentary." Phillips spoke. "For those of you who tuned in late, Andy was invited to the commentator table by Emma for her match against Asuka." Corey chuckled before he spoke.

"To which he responded-"

"Asuka's gonna kill her." Andy finished as he looked at the camera in front of him through the paint that was left on his face. "I call it like I see it." Emma's music hit and she and Dana performed their entrance to the ire of the fans.

"How do you feel about these two, Andy?"

"They're bullies. Just like the Ascension. They need to get taken down a peg. And Asuka can definitely do it."

"We all know Asuka is an international wrestling star, but you speak very highly of her." Phillips stated.

"When I was in Japan I was lucky enough to see her wrestle multiple times. I'm not ashamed to admit that seeing her wrestle made me push myself harder." As Emma's entrance ended, Asuka's music hit and she began to make her entrance. "And here she comes." Andy stated as he leaned forward slightly. "Now, Phillips, I've seen you commentate matches and you have an infatuation with Eva Marie. But Asuka's a real woman."

"What are you talking about? Hiw can you even say something like that?" Phillips replied as Asuka removed her mask and slid her face from behind it. Andy leaned on the commentator table and pointed at Asuka, causing her to glance at him momentarily from the top rope.

"Asuka is a real wrestler. She's not like the division that's been on TV for years. She might not be your definition of a model like Eva Marie, Phillips, but she goes above and beyond the WWES set standard in looks and skills."

"Geez, you two need to calm down. The match is starting." Corey intervened as the bell rang. "And there they go, locking up." Emma pushed away from Asuka. She shoved Asuka's face. When the Japanese woman's head rebounded, Emma slapped her fiercely. "Oh that's not smart."

"That never goes well. You do not disrespect Asuka." Asuka's head slowly turned and revealed that she had a smile on her face. She delivered fierce shots to Emma's face. Emma was Irish whipped into the ropes, and when she returned she was nailed with a flying hip attack.

"Those hips are dangerous." Andy spoke before glancing to Corey. "What? Don't even look at me like that man, you know what I meant. You people say it every week."

"Yeah, but... not worded like that. You know what, never mind. It doesn't matter." Asuka released a scream as she kicked Emma multiple times. "Oh, those kicks are lethal! Or should I say dangerous, Andy?"

"Shut up Corey." Andy spoke as Asuka put in her signature submission. "And there it is! The Asuka lock! This one's over." Andy stated, though he narrowed his eyes as Dana distracted the referee. Emma tapped out and Asuka released her before realizing the referee hadn't seen it. She went to get the referees attention as he tried to divide it between Asuka and Dana. Andy noticed Emma crawling across the ring to a studded leather belt in the corner.

"Hey, wait, where are you going?" Corey questioned as Andy placed his headset on the commentators table and rushed to ringside, snatching the belt out of the ring just before Emma could grab it. She looked at his still somewhat painted face in utter shock before she began screaming at him. She pushed from her knees to her feet and was instantly met with a kick to the side of the skull. Her body fell limp as Asuka covered her for a three count before her music played. "Asuka picks up the win here tonight." Corey observed as Asuka celebrated with to the fans as Dana helped Emma out of the ring and up the ramp.

"She could have been blasted with that belt too. She might owe Andy a thank you for the save." Phillips replied as Asuka came to stand in the middle of the ring, staring at Andy with her NXT Women's championship in her hand. "And now they're having a stare down. Wait, there's that smile from Asuka. We only see that when she's about to strike back hard at someone in the ring."

"That's true, but Andy's just standing there unphased. I really don't know what that's all about Phillips."

"You dont think Asuka thinks he's after her belt do you?"

"That is literally the stupidest thing you've ever said dude. Anyway, we're going to commercial break folks. Stay tuned for the main event!" Corey called as the show faded away on Asuka and Andy staring at one another, one with a smile.

Andy walked backstage, using his towel to wipe away his paint as he ran into Jordan. "Hey there, mate. Great match. Thanks for tagging with me out there." Andy spoke.

"No problem. It was my pleasure. It's nice to meet someone with a good striking style. I don't know who I want to beat first, you or Samoa Joe."

"Big ego on you there, huh, mate?" Andy questioned as he rubbed his face with his towel. As he removed it, he found Jordan staring at Becky Lynch. "Ah, but not big with girls, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Jordan questioned as he realized he'd been caught staring.

"Ms. Lynch over there."

"What about her? Why's she here by the way?" Jordan questioned as Andy chuckled as he wiped under his eyes.

"She's got a match here next week and shes scoping the competition. You got a crush on her. That's why you're staring at her. You should go tell her." Jordan spun and punched Andy stiffly in the shoulder.

"You're stupid." He spoke jokingly.

"I'm right." Andy responded with a chuckle as he drank from a water bottle.

"Oh yeah? Then what about you and Asuka?"

"What do you mean me and Asuka?"

"I saw that match. You played her up real good on the mic. Then you saved her and had that state down. Dangerous hips? Really Andy?"

"You're stupid." Andy spoke, mocking Jordan in a young boys voice.

"So I'm the 'King of Strong Style'?"

"Don't even go there with me. Shinsuke and I have this conversation enough."

XXX

And I'm done. I wanted to write more for the women's match but I'm still getting used to writing on my phone and it was a match that had already happened before and I knew if I dragged it out it would just be an exact copy.


	5. Chapter 5

Blitzkrieg 5.0

"Why are you here again?" Andy questioned in confusion as he and Jordan entered the NXT arena. Andy wore his new tee shirt, black with a photo of his upper body painted as it was the prior week with his head lowered and his eyes glowing orange. It read 'My skull is bulletproof' with Mercier stylized as a bullet followed by the word Club, a pair of blue jeans and black converse with a union jack painted on them. Jordan had been working out that day so he wore a pair of black puma sweats along with white running shoes and a compression shirt.

"What are you talking about?" Jordan returned innocently.

"Did you hit your head in our match? This is NXT, not Smackdown mate. And I don't need a partner." Andy spoke as they walked side by side through the halls.

"I'm just... scoping out the up and coming talent." Jordan returned simply as Andy chuckled.

"Talent? Yeah right. You're scoping out you're next girlfriend aren't you? One Becky Lynch." Jordan glanced sharply at Andy and opened his mouth as they rounded a corner, only to run into Renee Young. Andy stopped and narrowed his eyes. "You're real dodgy, Renee. Like I said, always waiting around a corner." The interviewer looked at the man oddly and Jordan spoke.

"Dodgy means something is plain off." He spoke in his British accent.

"Oh! Like sketchy!" Renee connected, causing Andy to cringe slightly.

"No! I mean, well yes, but no." Renee looked at Andy strangely before becoming serious.

"Right. Andy, you and Jordan defeated the Ascension last week. How do you feel about that?"

"I feel like I swept two bullies under the rug."

"Is it a relief to have put them behind you?"

"They were never a real threat to begin with so no." He returned with a slight shrug.

"OK. You were ringside during Emma and Asuka's match, and helped Asuka by keeping Emma from cheating. You and Asuka would go on to have a stare down. Can you give us any information on why?" Andy made to speak, but Jordan beat him to the punch.

"I'll help you out there. He wanted to see Asuka's dangerous hips in action." Andy shot a dangerous look at Jordan from the corners of his eyes.

"You wanker, you said you wouldn't bring that up!"

"We didn't touch gloves on it." Jordan shrugged in response.

"OK guys. Last question. Jordan, can you tell us why you're here tonight?" Before Jordan could stop him, Andy was already mocking his voice.

"I'll help you out there. This bloke's here to find his next top-"

"-opponent." Jordan interrupted before Andy elbowed him.

"C'mon, quit acting the maggot you muppet. Let the people hear what they want to hear." Andy shot as he allowed his British and Irish slang to switch.

"Sorry Renee. That's all the time we have." Jordan spoke with a smile that the interviewer returned.

"That's ok! Thank you guys for your time." Jordan grabbed Andy by the sleeve of his shirt and walked away.

"You've got to quit letting that slip."

"I'm not letting it slip, I'm directly trying to tell people." Andy joked before meeting Jordan's serious face. "Oh lighten up mate, I'm just taking the piss with you." Jordan chuckled in response. Andy glanced around before smirking. "Speaking of taking the piss. I see your glad eye right now." Jordan looked over and allowed his eyes to land on Becky Lynch as she talked with Bayley.

"Real funny."

"Aren't I always though?"

"Excuse me gentlemen." A new voice spoke, causing the two accented wrestlers to turn and face one William Regal. "Andy, the Ascension aren't happy with you and neither are Emma and Dana. I firmly believe in how you've presented yourself, however, I've given them somewhat of a pacifier so to speak. Tonight Emma and Viktor will face Asuka and... you Andy. Dana already had a match with Becky Lynch tonight, but to keep things fair it will be Konnor and Dana facing Becky and a male wrestler. I haven't found one yet. Mr. Sterling! Would you be so kind as to fill the spot?"

"He'd love to." Andy spoke with a smile.

"Excellent! Best of luck to you gentlemen!" Regal curtly walked away as Jordan turned to face Andy.

"I'm a great wingman, aren't I?"

"For putting me with who? Becky or the Ascension?"

"So you admit you have eyes for Becky." Andy shot deviously.

"You're a bloody wanker."

"I aim to please." Andy left to the men's locker room as Jordan went to his rental car to retrieve his ring gear. He quickly found his way to the same locker room where Andy was already getting ready for his match. Jordan quickly changed into his gear and began going through his routine. His match was first so he was called by an official as Andy continued his preparation. He reached the gorilla position after Konnor and Dana had gone through and Becky was already half way down the ramp. She stopped at the end, refusing to get in without her art partner. Riot blared loudly and Jordan walked out to a huge pop from the crowd. He fell to his knee and yelled "One man enters and one man leaves!" Before walking down the ramp. He stopped next to Becky who looked up at him. He nodded to her and she continued her entrance from where she'd left off to his music as he leapt onto the apron and ran it's ropes, throwing his shirt to the fans before climbing into the ring. Jordan and Konnor would be the ones to start the match. The bell rang and they began circling one another. "And here we go folks, Jordan and Konnor in the ring to begin the match. Now remember folks this was originally Becky Lynch versus Dana Broke but was changed by Mr. Regal."

Jordan and Konnor had locked up and were fighting for dominance. Jordan struck out violently with his leg and slammed it into Konnor's side, giving him the advantage. Konnor was head butted by Jordan before bing hip tossed to the mat. Jordan slid down, slamming his knees into Konnor's skull. He wrapped his arm around Konnor's neck and pulled him to his feet. Konnor broke the hold before smashing his forearm into Jordan's face, causing him to stumble. An elbow to the side of the skull further knocked Jordan off kilter. A short arm clothesline laid him flat on his back. Konnor placed his boot on Jordan's face before stomping. Jordan's body jerked and his hands flew up to clutch at his face as Konnor screamed at him. As Jordan pushed to his hands and knees, Konnor dropped a knee into his back, causing him to writhe. Konnor grabbed Jordan by his hair and pulled him to his feet. He elbowed Jordan in the face before the dark skinned man struck out with his foot and connected with Konnor's abdomen. The man bent over and a swift knee to his skull sent him to the ground. Jordan made his way to his corner and tagged Becky in, allowing her to jump into the ring excitedly as Dana was called in.

She rushed across the ring and clotheslined Dana before hitting multiple Japanese arm drags in rapid succession. Becky grabbed her by her hair and brought her to her feet before Dana kicked her in her abdomen. As Becky bent over, Dana slammed her forearm into her face. Becky hit the mat while Jordan pounded on the top turmbuckle, pumping up the fans in Becky's favor. Dana elbowed Becky in the back of the skull as she moved to her feet before iris whipping her into the ropes before clotheslining her. The Lass Kicker hit the mat again and Dana performed her signature pose to taunt Becky. Reaching down she began picking Becky up on to be rolled into a Cradle pin. "And the Lass Kicker gets a close two count there, Corey." Phillips called as Becky tagged Jordan back into the match, forcing for Konnor to be called back in. The two opponents circled one anther once again, their eyes glaring holes into each other's soul. Konnor struck out first with a right that landed solidly on Jordan's jaw. Jordan responded with his own jab. The two traded blows back and forth for a moment before Jordan released a flurry of strikes and kicks, ending it with a hip toss to the canvas. Jordan picked Konnor up and Irish whipped him into the ropes. As he rebounded, he was met by a harsh elbow that sent him sprawling. Jordan stomped on his chest before once again allowing Becky to take over the match. She and Dana locked up, with Dana getting the upper hand. She landed a few stiff shots to Becky before Becky returned with a few clotheslines.

As Dana regained her footing, Becky hit her with a pump Handle suplex. "And there's the Lass-plex! Oh and Becky Lynch is following up with the Dis-Arm-Her!" Konnor made into the ring to break up the submission, only to be hit with a spear. "And M16 from Jordan, and they go through the ropes! We might need help out here. Jordan and Konnor's heads both smacked the pavement hard." In Ring, Dana tapped to the submission and the referee called for the bell. Becky's theme played as she slid from the ring to check on her fallen partner. He was already rising to his feet, and she helped him the rest of the way before letting him use her as a crutch so he could go to the trainer's room and be checked up on. The two spoke very little as they walked, but Jordan caught sight of Andy on his way to the gorilla position. Andy patted his shoulder as he passed. "Good effort, mate. Get that head checked out." Jordan nodded in response as he continued walking to the trainers room.

"Kill them out there, Andy."

"Oh, I'm about to shoot em up." Andy replied over his shoulder before he rounded a corner and traveled the rest of the way to the gorilla position. Emma had just finished her entrance and joined Viktor in the ring. Andy found himself staring at Asuka's mask before she lifted it and stared at him with her face halfway behind it and her smile upon her face. Before Andy could say anything, her music played and she walked out to the cheers of the crowd. She walked down to the ring, and performed her entrance that ended in her revealing her smiling face from behind her mask. Then, Crown of Thorns played and Andy burst through the curtains. He wore a pair of plane white trunks, black boots with black kick pads painted with a white spider and black knee pads. It was his head was lowered but it was obvious he was wearing a bandanna on his face with bullets printed on it. It traveled to his "My skull is bulletproof" Tee shirt. His right arm was taped from his wrist toe forearm with strips on his fingers. His Left arm was wrapped from his forearm to the middle of his thumb and strips on the other fingers. Andy bent down to one knee with his head still lowered. He untied his bandana and pulled his shirt off before taking a crouched spiderman like pose as he was revealed to have black bands on his biceps and that he was painted again due to Finn Balor still being unfit to compete.

His face was painted white with a spider mask like design over his eyes and nose with spikes around the mouth. The white paint extended down his neck, over his shoulders and to the bottom of his pectoral muscles. A large black spider was painted from the top of his chest almost to his trunks. The parts of the spider that extended past the white background was outlined in white paint. From his Spiderman pose, Andy pointed his hand like a gun at Viktor and Emma standing at ringside. He leaped high into the air with a joking "Spider Style Shooter!" Before walking down the ramp. He would pause to hand his tee shirt to a young girl and his bandanna to a little boy wearing a Bullet Club shirt. When he reached the end of the ramp, he brought his hands up, this time like spiderman slinging webs as the fans called "Strong!" With a few echoing Andy's joking "Spider!" He turned and rushed up a little ways and performed the same motion as the crowd yelled "Style!" He turned and made his way to the ring before jumping to the apron while extending his hand and pretending to Sling a Web. To the children's delight he would continue the charade of spiderman as he climbed the turnbuckle in a very spiderman like manner before performing his hanging draw as he yelled "Shoot em up!" He dropped into the ring and moved to the center where he crouched low and posed as his music faded away. "What an entrance." Phillips stated as Andy stood to his feet. He turned and found Asuka right behind him, her hand pointing at him like a gun, and a smile on her face. "I don't know if she's making fun of Andy, or showing respect."

"One would think respect, what with Andy helping her last week, but with that smile she's been giving him she might be close to trying to take his head off at any second. And here we go folks, the women starting the match this time." The bell rang as Asuka and Emma began circling. Asuka paused with a smile however as the crowd began chanting 'Asuka's gonna kill you!' Immediately. She raised her arms up and down, encouraging them before Emma made a grab for her. Emma stumbled backward however as Asuka struck out with a spinning back kick. Asuka titled her head, motioning for Emma to 'come on' with her hand. Emma rushed forward and was kicked in the abdomen. Emma bent over as Asuka bounded off the ropes before hitting a flying hip attack to her opponent's face. "Oh! And there are those dangerous hips Andy was talking about last week."

"He'll never really live that down will he?"

"It was good intentioned, but the completely wrong words. So probably not." Emma found her way to her knees before a few repeated kicks were delivered to her chest. As she was pulled to her feet, Emma delivered a sharp punch to Asuka's skull before flipping her to the mat. Emma jumped to the side, tagging in Viktor as Andy was called into action. He and Viktor circled each other before they began to close in to lock up. Before they could, Andy delivered a harsh kick to Viktor's leg. Viktor stumbled and a flying Calf kick sent him down. Andy kipped up, and as Vikto made to his feet, Andy kicked him in the chest multiple times with the crowd chanting 'Yes' at each successive kick. Then, Viktor caught Andy's leg and delivered a stiff shot to his abdomen. Andy's back smacked the mat as he was clotheslined. His head bounced off of the canvas before Viktor began stomping away at him. Viktor screamed angrily at his opponent before picking him up and Irish whipping him into the corner. Andy's head whipped back as Viktor clotheslined him. Andy styled forward and was Suplexed into the middle of the ring.

Andy writhed in pain but rolled away as Viktor made to grab him again. Pushing up to his feet, he bounded off the ropes and nailed Viktor with a flying Yakuza kick. Viktor hit the mat and he appeared dazed as he stumbled to regain his footing. Andy caught his ankle and pulled him to the mat. "And there's Andy's ankle lock! You know, the Ascension do a lot of screaming, but we hardly ever see one scream like Viktor is right now." Phillips spoke.

"No lie, but he's screaming with good reason. One good jerk and that ankles broken!" Viktor had found himself to one foot before Andy pulled back on his leg, hitting him with German suplex, Bridging it into a pin. He got a two count before Viktor broke free. Andy shook his head as he stood to his feet. As Viktor moved back to his feet, Andy forced his arms over his chest in a X over his chest before hitting a straight jacket back breaker. Instead of letting him go, Andy flipped Viktor over his body before rolling and placing him in a Bridging crossface.

"Oh! A modified Show no Mercier! And here comes Emma!" Emma entered the ring to break the hold, but was met by Asuka who stood, smiling at her. Emma went to slap her, but was caught in a flying armbar instead. The referee moved back and forth trying to restore order in his match before calling for the bell as Viktor tapped out. "And there it is folks! Viktor taps out! Andy and Asuka take this match!" Crown of Thorns bled into the arena as Andy kicked Viktor away from him. Standing to his feet, he aimed his hand like a gun at the man before turning to celebrate. He found himself staring at Asuka who had her hand like a gun aiming it at him as she smiled.

"And there it is again. I have to say, it definitely gets weirder each time we see it." Andy marched forward before he and Asuka exchanged words in Japanese. They paused in their conversation before Andy nodded. Then, he ducked as Viktor attempted to clothesline him from behind. His head whipped to the side as Asuka hit him with harsh kick to the face. As he stumbled, he was lifted onto Andy's shoulders like a torture rack. He nodded his head to Asuka, and she caught Emma in the Asuka Lock before she could blindside her. As Andy hit his inverted Ride the Mercier on Viktor, Konnor and Dana made their way to the ring to help their partners. They only reached the end of the ramp before William Regal's voice echoed out, stopping all of the action.

"That's quite enough!" He spoke angrily. "I have had enough of this. Next week, we're putting all of this to rest. Dana, you will face Asuka and Emma will not be allowed at ringside. If you lose, neither you or Emma will be allowed a shot at the NXT Women's championship as long as Asuka is the champion. And Ascension, next week you will face Andy Mercier, and... the returning Finn Balor!" The crowd roared in approval as Andy smirked smugly and pointed his hand at Konnor on the outside like a gun. "Ascension, if you win, at NXT Takeover, you will fight in a triple threat match with Finn Balor for the NXT championship. If you lose, this bad blood between you... is over. You will not be attacking either Finn or Andy anymore. In addition, if Finn and Andy win they will face each other for the NXT championship at NXT Takeover in a one on one contest." The crowd cheered loudly as Andy fired his gun at Konnor.

"Wow! What an announcement for next week! We're going to commercial, so stay tuned for what's next. Wow!" The show faded from the air focused on William Regal.

Andy returned to the backstage area, rubbing the paint from his face before he was blindsided by Renee Young. "Andy!"

"Renee." Andy responded with a curt nod as he drank from a water bottle. "How can I help you?"

"After your match, and before Viktor tried to attack you, you and Asuka had another stare down. In fact, before the match you had one. Both times she was using one of your signature taunts. But after the match you two spoke to each other. Can you tell us what was said, and give us any insight into the last couple of weeks?"

"Respect." Andy responded simply with a shrug, blinking rapidly as paint dripped into his eyes. "Asuka and I have both spent most of our careers in Japan and have had multiple chances to see each other in action. I respect her and am a fan because she is the epitome of a wrestler for men and women. She respects me and is a fan because of my strong style wrestling. In the ring, she said it was an honor to share the ring with the True Shooter, and I said it was an honor to share it with Kana. The last couple of weeks have been nothing but friendly respect."

Renee nodded in response before moving on. "Also, William Regal announced that, next week, you will finally have your tag team match with Finn Balor against the Ascension. If you lose, they face Finn Balor in a triple threat match at NXT Takeover for the championship. But if you win, you get that match at Takeover in a one on one with Finn Balor. What's your take on this?"

"Well Renee, Finn and I go way back. We've teamed together. We've fought each other. And next week we'll put an end to this feud with the Ascension. Then, I'll go on to do what I came here for. I'll claim the NXT Championship." Andy glanced around before smiling. "Then the fans can look forward to show every week. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make sure my mate hasn't cracked his skull open."

Renee nodded as he walked away, calling out "Thanks for your time!" As he disappeared around a corner.

XXX

And wrap! I'm going back and forth on if the brand split has happened. It doesn't matter yet because we haven't seen a lot of the main shows but I'm leaning toward the brand split right now.


	6. Chapter 6

Blitzkrieg 6.0

Andy reclined in the men's locker room, chewing on gum. He had forgone his normal wardrobe and wore a black muscle shirt that simply said Club, black shorts and a pair of white Nike sneakers with a rising sun painted on the right one. NXT was in its pre show rituals as the crowd filed into the building. He leaned back in his steel chair and looked at the ceiling. He found William Regal staring down at him "Sorry, sir." He spoke as he dropped his chair and stood to his feet. "Didn't realize you were here. Do you need something?"

"No, I just wanted to stop by and wish you luck in your match. You have a lot of potential, Mr. Degray." He answered, using Andy's real last name. "Potential that you have yet to even tap into. You have many opportunities coming your way, and if you chase them, I have no doubt in my mind that you will hold the WWE championship one day."

"Well... thank you, Mr. Regal." Andy answered at a loss for words. The NXT general manager smiled in response before he made to leave the men's locker room.

"Again, good luck in your match tonight." He called over his shoulder before exiting the room. Andy reclined again, waiting his last thirty minutes before NXT started. Finn entered the room as the show opened, and they nodded to one another. The didn't talk though, and instead opted to begin their own rituals of getting prepared for their match. Andy utilized his time the best he could before the inevitable official came and collected him for his match. He walked through the halls and arrived at the gorilla position as the Ascension made their entrance. Finn stood there, donned in his typical war paint. His theme hit and he made his way to the ring as The Demon.

"And here's the returning NXT Champion, Finn Balor." Phillips spoke.

"Coming in as The Demon, and that let's you know that the Ascension are in for a war here tonight folks." Corey responded as Finn's music faded away and everyone waited for the final entrant. Crown of Thorns played, but not the typical version. It was a violin version with the lyrics laid in over it. Andy burst through the curtains wearing white trunks, white boots and white kickpads with the right one having a rising sun painted on it and the left a union jack, and his hands taped the same as the previous week. He wore his black my skull is bulletproof shirt and a black bandanna with bullets over the mouth. He dropped to one knee, removing the bandanna and shirt, revealing that he wore the same paint and bands as the week before. He dropped down into his Spiderman pose before launching to his feet with a cry of "Strong Style Shooter!" Before making his way down the ramp. He would pause, giving both his shirt and bandanna to a bald young boy wearing a 'I wrestle cancer' tee shirt. He took the time to tie the bandanna around the boy's head, talking to him with a smile as he bounced in his dad's hold. The father said something to Andy and he shook the man's hand before walking the rest of the way to the ring, pausing twice for his "Strong! Style!" Gunning, using his hands like Web slingers.

He jumped through the air onto the apron, pretending to Sling a Web before climbing the turnbuckle like spiderman. He performed his hanging draw while yelling 'Shoot em up!' Before dropping into the ring. He made his way to the center before dropping into a spiderman pose as his music died away. He hopped to his feet before turning and facing Finn. Their hands clasped each other's shoulders before Andy nodded and exited the ring. "And here were go folks. Andy and Finn painted up for war."

"And it looks like Finn Balor and Konnor will start this match off." Phillips observed as the bell rang and the two combatants began circling each other. "You have to think that Finn is out for some revenge after the Ascension attacked him and left him out of action for two weeks with a concussion."

Finn and Konnor locked up with Konnor Kneeing his opponent in the gut. "Oh yeah. And you know that the implications of this match are on everybody's minds, especially the returning Finn Balor. If Finn and Andy lose, Finn will fight the Ascension in a triple threat match for the championship. If Finn and Andy win this match then Finn will face Andy one on one in a title defense."

Konnor clotheslined Finn to the mat with a roar before kicking the side of his head. He picked Finn up and hit him with a body slam that caused Finn's back to arch.

"Either way, Finn knows who he'll be defending his title against tonight, and that's definitely at the back of his mind." Konnor made to pick Finn up, but Finn kicked his knee and sent him stumbling away. Finn rolled to his feet and performed a jumping kick to the face that sent Konnor to the mat. As Konnor made to get to his feet, Finn kicked him multiple times. The crowd oohed as the noise resounded through the arena. Konnor roared as he shoved Finn away before going for a clothesline. Finn ducked underneath it and kicked him in the back. Konnor grasped at his back before Finn hit the ropes and performed a springboard DDT. Konnor stared up at the ceiling, dazed, as Finn traveled to his corner and tagged Andy in. The fresh man launched himself onto the top rope and he performed a springboard senton. Konnor grasped at his ribs as Andy bounded to his feet, aiming his hand like a gun at the crowd. They cheered in response, and Andy spun and kicked Konnor in the skull as he got back to his feet.

Andy made to grab Konnor, but the larger man punched him in the face before landing a full Nelson slam on his opponent. Andy writhed. Konnor went for the cover, but Andy kicked out at two. Konnor screamed at him before landing a harsh elbow drop on Andy. He moved to the corner and tagger Viktor in. As Andy got to his feet, Konnor hit him with a big boot before leaving him to his partner. Viktor picked the downed wrestler up before delivering a vicious clothesline to him. Viktor screamed at him angrily as he stared up at the ceiling. The larger man picked Andy up and Irish whipped him to the ropes. Hiwever, Andy leaped through the air, landing on the second rope, tagging Finn in, before performing a springboard Calf kick to Viktor's face. Finn rushed into the ring, drop kicking Viktor as he sat up. Finn exited to the apron before sending himself over the top rope, landing a senton on the still downed Viktor. The Ascension member clutched at his abdomen as he fought to get to his feet, only to get kicked in the skull. His head whipped to the side and Finn bounded back against the ropes to continue his offense. A big foot to the face, however, sent him sprawling to the ground. Viktor dropped a knee down into his opponents ribs before he pounded the mat with an enraged scream.

Viktor picked Finn up by his hair before kicking him in the gut and landing a DDT. Finn rolled onto his stomach but a hard kick to his ribs made the man roll onto his back. Viktor picked the man up and Irish whipped him into the corner. He shoved his forearm into Finn's faces and tagged Konnor back in. His partner made his way to the center of the ring before Irish whipping Finn toward him. Another violent clothesline sent the man to his back. Konnor reached down and picked Finn up before hitting him with a full Nelson slam. "Oh! Another full nelson slam. That might be it." Konnor looked at Andy and screamed before covering Finn. He got a two count before Finn kicked out. Konnor yelled and marched to Andy as he pounded the turnbuckle and rallied the fans in a "Let's go Finn let's go!" As he got too close, and pulled the top rope and used it as leverage to jump and kick Konnor in the head. He stumbled back into a backbreaker from Finn. The two men lay on the mat and began making their way to their respective corners across the canvas. They reached their partners and tagged them about the same time. Andy and Viktor both rushed one another with Andy ducking under a clothesline.

He jumped through the air, Springboarding with a double knee. Viktor hit the mat with and Andy's knees slamming into his abdomen before Andy rolled away. He jumped to his feet, his hand lifted to the ceiling like a gun as he screamed 'Shot down!' To the crowds roar of approval. He spun and ran, hitting Viktor with a kinshasa. "And an Andy's out! That's it folks!" Corey called as Andy amped the crowd up by lifting his arms up and down. He turned and ducked under a clothesline from Konnor. As the larger man turned around, a flying kick from Finn sent him into the corner. Andy and Finn looked to each other before high fiving. They ran at the Ascension and performed two simultaneous hesitation drop kicks.

"Two beautiful hesitation drop kicks!" As the Ascension rolled away from the corners, Andy and Finn climbed the turnbuckles before each jumped off, slamming their feet into their opponents. "And now a double Coup De Grace!" Andy lifted Viktor onto his shoulders as Finn picked Konnor up. Finn bounced of the rope, hitting a Sling Blade as Andy performed his Ride the Mercier. Andy dropped down onto Viktor and Finn excitedly lead the crowd to a three count with his fingers. Andy's normal Crown of Thorns played as he jumped to his feet.

"And there you have it! Finn and Andy putting a cap on the Ascension!" Finn continued to celebrate as Andy leaned through the ropes and called to an official who wearily handed him the NXT championship. As Finn jumped from the corner, he turned and found Andy staring at him with his title in hand.

"Yeah and that also means that Andy is the number one contender for the NXT Championship." Andy and Finn continued to hold a stare down before Andy smiled and walked forward, placing the title on his partners shoulder as Finn watched wearily.

"I'll take it at Takeover." Andy spoke, audible to the camera. Finn laughed in response and vacated the ring, making his way backstage as Andy turned to celebrate for the fans. As he walked to the corner, a harsh the back of his neck and he found himself on the mat with Kevin Owens standing over him as his music bled away.

"What's Kevin Owens doing here!?" Kevin picked Andy up, striking his neck and skull multiple times before slamming him face first to the mat. Then, he moved and retrieved a microphone from an official.

"You know, I'm real sick of punks like this 'international superstar' coming here to the WWE and getting title shots while I have to break my neck for nothing. Especially when they're called fighters and strikers and master mix Martial artists and all that crap. I'm a prize fighter! Not this punk, and definitely not Jordan Sterling. Sterling, I hope you're watching this, because this is a statement to you. I'm coming to Smackdown. And if it's before or after you get it, I'm taking whatever championship you're running for. I hope it's after. I can take all your strikes. Do you really think you can take mine?" Kevin dropped his mic before picking Andy up. With an Irish whip, Andy bounded off the ropes before he was launched in the air by Owens and hit with a pop up Powerbomb.

"Dear God what a pop up Powerbomb! I don't know if Jordan's watching, but if he is, he definitely got the message." Phillips spoke.

"No kidding. Keep an eye out for Smackdown over the next couple of weeks. And join us next time here at NXT!" Corey responded. Kevin Owens' music played and the show went off air with Kevin pointing his hand like a gun at Andy, chuckling and shooting it before looking at the camera and yelling 'You're next Sterling!'

XXX

This one's short, but I had to get that out of the way so I could set some things up.


	7. Chapter 7

Blitzkrieg 7.0

Andy moved through the hallways in the Smackdown arena. Wearing a black tee shirt, blue jeans and a pair of black converse, he rolled his shoulder. It popped loudly as he rounded a corner. He found himself staring at Brianna Kelly, watching her phone. "Looking up another wrestler you don't know?" Andy questioned, causing her to look up. "Please tell me it's Shinsuke."

"Oh, no." She responded awkwardly with a smile. "It's actually another video on you. I like WhatCulture wrestling, and, well, you're one of the lucky ones. Most of the time they only make one for a wrestler, but you got two! Do you want to see it." Andy chewed on the inside of his cheek as he weighed his options before shrugging his shoulders.

"Sure, why not. I'd love to find out some stuff I don't know about myself." Brianna laughed in response before she turned so Andy could see the screen of her phone and pressed play on her youtube video.

"Look to the skies! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a, no, it's a bird. And this is a picture of Andy Mercier. Deja vu? Well, we've been here before but we're going back because, and I'm calling it, Andy Mercier will be the new NXT Champion sooner. Mostly because news broke Finn Balor's getting called to the main Roster. Hash tag I'm sorry Andy, I believe in you, please answer my calls. I'm Adam from WhatCulture and this is five MORE things you probably didn't know about Andy Mercier.

"Number five, remember back in that other video, no not the one with the cat the other one I did on Andy, where I said he debut as Mach Degray in New Japan? He also debut as Los Locomotive in CMLL. That's right folks, he was a flying train. Number four, Andy departed NJPW as a heel, but debut in NXT as a face. I guess he found himself in his five days away from the ring? Number three, Andy was such a draw in NJPW that the Bullet Club still bring his name up in promos. As an active Bullet Club member. I can hear WWE lawyers filing papers now. Number two, he's always been an avid comic book fan. I never would have guessed when he took on that spiderman Gimmick. Spider Style anyone? And the number one thing that you probably didn't know about Andy Mercier, in this video, he was once held at gun point as a member of the Bullet Club because his character attacked his baby face friend Shinsuke. Shinsuke had to step in and defuse the situation. Andy doesn't like breaking Kayfab, but I'm sure he was glad Shinsuke did. Thanks for watching the video, be sure to like and subscribe."

Brianna looked up from her phone as Andy checked his own. "I don't know what he was talking about. I have no missed calls." He joked, causing the female wrestler to laugh in response. "But I do have a text. Good to see you again, but I have to go find my mate." With that, Andy began walking away as Brianna nodded. Andy found his way to the male locker room where Jordan was waiting on him. "Sorry I took so long, mate. I was busy."

"You're the one who text me earlier today saying you were going to be at Smackdown. I just wanted to know what you were up to." Jordan responded with a shrug as he leaned against the wall.

"I want to go ringside during your match." Andy stated, causing Jordan to raise an eyebrow. "I feel like somethings going to go down, and if it has anything to do with Kevin Owens, well, I owe that muppet a few stiff shots." Jordan chuckled as he scratched his facial hair.

"You can come down. I mean, I can handle anyone who comes out. Especially Owens. One shot knockout. He might be a prize fighter, but he's not the striker I am. He might have got you, but he won't get me." Andy scowled as Jordan gave him a cheeky grin.

"You bloody wanker. If you were half as good at talking to girls as you were about boasting your ego to me you'd have Beck-"

"Finish that, and I'll show you why Owens won't touch me." It was Andy's turn to give a cheeky grin. Jordan rolled his eyes before going into the locker room to finish getting ready. Andy followed behind and did some shadow boxing until an official came for Jordan. The two walked through the halls to the gorilla position. Jordan's opponent, Rusev, had just finished his entrance. Riot played and Jordan walked from the curtains followed closely by Andy. The crowd cheered loudly. "Here's Jordan with Andy Mercier in tow. What's he doing here?" Cole questioned from the the commentators table. Jerry answered as Jordan gave his "One man enters and one man leaves!" Yell.

"Probably looking for Kevin Owens to bank in on some payback after that sneak attack on him at NXT." Andy and Jordan reached the end of the ramp. Jordan bent his body to look at the camera before jumping on the apron. As he raced the ropes and threw his shirt to the crowd, Andy walked around ringside and took a spot at the commentators table. "Welcome to Smackdown, Andy. How're you doing?" King questioned as Jordan entered the ring.

"I'm doing good."

"It's somewhat of a surprise to see you." Cole spoke and Andy spared him a brief glance.

"I heard Smackdown has a rat infestation. I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that a really fat one, I named it Kevin Owens, will probably try to run through here tonight and I'm going to exterminate him for you." The bell rang signaling the beginning of the match before Jordan and Rusev locked up.

"Now, Andy, you'll be taking on Finn Balor for the NXT championship soon. Meanwhile, Jordan will have this match again in two weeks at our next pay per view, except it'll be for Rusev's United States championship." Rusev head butted Jordan multiple times, sending him stumbling away.

"I've known Jordan a few weeks now. He's a hard worker, a nice guy, he's always giving back, and he's a great fighter. All in all he's a good bloke to have as a friend and I'm happy for him to have that chance. If I were him, I'd really be pushing for the win tonight so I could get inside my opponents head for the pay per view." Jordan delivered a flurry of strikes to Rusev's head and face before Kneeing him in the abdomen, forcing him to double over. A harsh knee strike to the skull sent Rusev stumbling backward in a daze. Jordan went for a hip toss, but Rusev regained his bearings and delivered a hard shot to the side of his opponents head, breaking his hold on him. A kick to the face sent Jordan falling into the ropes. Rusev used the ropes to Irish whip his opponent across the ring before delivering a harsh Clothesline. Rusev reached down and picked him up, only for Jordan to deliver a harsh uppercut to his jaw. Rusev stumbled backward. Jordan delivered two more uppercuts before shoving his opponent into the corner turnbuckle. Descending on his, Jordan released a lethal flurry of strikes to Rusev's body.

"Those strikes are deadly." Cole spoke as any nodded his head.

"Jordan's worked years for those strikes. That's why he's a black belt in multiple Martial arts. If Rusev wants to get put six feet under, sitting in that corner and taking those hits is a good way to do it." Rusev shoved Jordan away with brute strength. Jordan's back hit the canvas and as he got back to his feet, Rusev's body crashed into his, sending him right back to the match. Picking Jordan up by his neck, Rusev delivered as Headbutt that sent him reeling to the side. As he regained his bearings, he was hit with a fallaway slam. With the air knocked from his body, Jordan lay on the mat as Rusev climbed the ropes. He jumped for a diving Headbutt, but Jordan rolled away last second and Rusev's head slammed into the canvas. "There you go!" Andy called from the commentators table. "Being a strike like Jordan, you learn to rely on your instincts and that-" Andy was cut off as a chair slammed into his back, resounding throughout the arena. He fell from his seat, the wire on his headset ripping it off as he writhed in pain. "Oh my god!" Jordan turned to the sound as Kevin Owens slammed the chair into his targets back again. Jordan made to save him, but Rusev grabbed his arm and spun him around.

Jordan struck out with a devastating right fist that sent Rusev stumbling through the ropes and onto the pavement below. Jordan turned around where Owens planted his chair firmly on his head as the referee called for a disqualification. Jordan crumbled to the ground before Owens hit him repeatedly with his weapon. "And Owens going to town on Jordan with that chair. This attack is despicable king." Owens reached down, picking his target up before throwing him into the ropes. As he bounced back, Owens caught him in a pop up Powerbomb.

"Oh! And the same powerbomb he put Andy out with on NXT. No, stop Owens, that's enough!" Jerry Lawler called as Owens picked Jordan up before bouncing him into the ropes and hitting him with another pop up Powerbomb. "And another one! This has got to stop Cole."

"I don't think Owens is done though, King." Michael responded as Owens picked his chair up and exited the ring. He walked to where Andy was just getting on his hands and knees before cracking him over the back again. With Andy's body writhing in pain, Owens rammed the tip of the chair into his throat three times before throwing the chair in his face. He pulled Andy up by the hair on his head before lifting him onto his shoulders before performing an Argentine neckbreaker on the outside of the ring. The announcers cried out in shock and sympathy for the wrestler as Kevin grabbed a mic and rolled Andy into the ring.

He followed after and placed the mic down. He delivered a violent kick to Jordan's face, with Jordan still not moving. Then, he picked Andy up and launched him into the ropes. He caught Andy in his pop up power bomb and rotated, slamming him onto Jordan's abdomen. Owens then retrieved his microphone. "I told you you were next Sterling. I told you I was coming after you. You're no prize fighter like you say you are, and you're definitely not championship material. And did you really think having this punk down here would keep me from laying you out?" Owens questioned as the crowd booed loudly. "Even after I laid him out on NXT? In your dreams. Let me let you in on a little secret. You're not going to be the next United States Champion, because he's standing over you. And you." Kevin kicked Andy's unmoving skull. "Stay off my show."

Kevin dropped his mic, pausing before out stretching Jordan and Andy's arms and positioning Andy completely horizontally over Jordan, forming a cross. As he vacated the ring, he called to the two. Though it was mostly inaudible, it could be made out as 'Rest in piss'. "We're going to go to commercial break folks, and get these two some medical attention." Cole spoke solemnly. "Stay tuned. Smackdown will be right back." Smackdown faded to comercial on Jordan and Andy's bodies as medical officials rushed to the ring to check on them.

The following week at NXT, William Regal's music played and he walked down the ramp to the ring as the crowd cheered loudly. The white canvas had been covered up in black, there was a wooden table covered in black cloth that had two revolving chairs by it, and a clipboard with papers and a pen sat on top of it. On either end of the table was an NXT microphone with a third in the middle. Regal climbed the steel steps and entered the ring before claiming the middle microphone. He waited for his music to stop and for the fans cheering to die down some before he began to speak. "Last week here on NXT, Finn Balor and Andy Mercier defeated the Ascension." The crowd cheered loudly to this statement. "As you may know, the stipulation for their victory means that Finn and Andy will face each other at NXT Takeover for the NXT Championship." The crowd cheered even louder, causing Regal to smile.

"As such, I'm out here for the contract signing for this match. First, I would like to call the current reigning NXT Champion to the ring." Regal continued. The crowd waited in silence, then broke into a roar as Finn's music hit and he broke the curtains. He was dressed casually, wearing a Polo Shirt, black dress like pants and black dress shoes. He went through his normal entrance with the crowd really rallying behind him each time he lifted his arms into the air. Once in the ring, he claimed one of the microphones on the end of the table before shaking Regal's hand. They spoke some words to one another, but it was mostly inaudible. "Next, I would like to call the new number one contender for the NXT Championship, Andy Mercier, to join us in ring." It was silent once again as the crowd waited, and they cheered loudly as Crown of Thorns played through the arena.

Andy broke the curtains and stood at the top of the ramp, the crowd cheering even louder. Instead of letting his hair lay down on top like normal, he had slicked it back, and the front was left somewhat unruly. He wore his black my skull is bulletproof shirt with a black denim vest on over it. Patched onto one side was a Rising Sun and French flag, while the other side held a Union Jack and Irish flag. He wore a pair of loose black jeans, with a belt, that traveled down to be tucked into a pair of black combat boots with the laces hanging out. He looked left and right, before pointing to the ring and shooting at it. He walked down the ramp, touching his hands to the fans in the Too Sweet gesture. He reached a small family with two kids. One was a girl dressed exactly like Bayley, who Bayley had given a headband to earlier that night. The other, her brother, was dressed like Andy, and even had his haircut. He walked to them, reaching into his back pocket and producing a reversible black bandanna with Mercier stylized asteeth in a mouth on one side, and bullets on the other. The boy screamed in excitement as his face got red and tears filled his eyes, his parents laughing happily, as Andy tied the bandanna around his face.

He tapped his Too Sweet hand gesture to the boy's own shaking hand before turning and walking to the end of the ramp. He paused before lifting his right arm and pointing to the crowd as they yelled "Strong!" He then raised his left as they yelled "Style!" Before he turned them into guns and shot at Finn, who smirked in response. Andy climbed the stairs and entered the ring through the ropes, opting not to climb the turnbuckle before he claimed the last microphone. Crown of Thorns died down as the fans roared loudly. "Thank you for being here tonight gentlemen." Regal spoke.

"Glad to be." Finn answered to the crowds approval.

"Wouldn't miss my contract signing for the world." Andy added. Regal nodded in response as the fans began chanting the names of the two wrestlers.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, before we get to the actual signing, is there anything either of you would like to say to your competition?" Regal questioned. Finn made to lift his microphone, but Andy beat him to the punch.

"Hold on there Finn." He stated, holding his hand out in a stop motion. "You know, I've said it before. We go back a long way. We were tagging together and fighting each other in matches before either of us ever had a chance at a WWE contract. We've gone to war. Together, and against each other. We have history. The thing you have to realize, is that that history means nothing when that bell rings at Takeover. I'm here for the Championship around your waist. You can Sling Blade me around this ring, through the hallways and back, and hit me with as many Coup De Grace as you want to. At the end of the night, I'm either going to pin you, or you're going to tap out, mate. And when I'm holding that NXT Championship, it will be a sign of things to come in the WWE." Andy lowered his microphone as Finn chuckled. Then, he lifted his own mic again.

"I can respect why you're here and what you're trying to do. And you're not wrong saying our history doesn't matter. Because when you enter this ring thinking of the times you've gotten the best of me, I guarantee that you'll underestimate me. Because I'm not the Finn Balor you fought before. I've grown and evolved. The Bottom line is this... mate... I'm walking into Takeover as the NXT Champion, and I'm walking out as the NXT Champion."

"Strong words from both of the competitors." Phillips spoke.

"Oh yeah, we might want to rename Takeover War zone when these two step in the ring to face one another." Corey responded.

"Very good." Regal spoke into his microphone as Andy and Finn got face to face with one another, the crowd roaring in approval. "If that's all to be said, then let's proceed with the contract signing, shall we?" He questioned. Finn and Andy exchanged some inaudible words before they nodded and turned to the covered table. Finn grabbed the pen first and gave a brief glance over the contract. Just as he signed the contract, Destroyer by CFO$ blared through the arena as Samoa Joe burst from the Gorilla position and stomped his way to the ring.

"What's Samoa Joe doing out here? This isn't his contract signing!"

"Mr. Joe, can I help you with something." Regal questioned as Joe retrieved a microphone from an official.

"Cut the crap, Regal." Samoa Joe snapped as his music died. "I've been here breaking my back for this company, and haven't been given the shot I deserve. No, I have to force my way into title pictures because 'I'm not ready for it'."

"Your time will come, I promise." Regal responded, causing Joe to glare menacingly.

"But it's this guys time? After he just got here? No. This is my time." Andy made to step toward Joe, but Finn beat him to it.

"Joe, you've had chances. You just haven't been able to capitilize on them. That's why you're not here for this contract signing." Joe dropped his mic and got in Finn's face, forcing the champion to drop his own as they began screaming at one another. Regal placed his own down and moved to the side of them, placing his arms between them in an attempt to break them up. Andy grimaced as he dropped his mic. He signed the contract as the fans cheered before tossing it to the side. Then, he picked the table up and began moving it across the ring, unnoticed. Joe and Finn stopped fighting to watch him with strange looks as he adjusted the table in the corner before walking away and retrieving his mic.

"What? We all know exactly where this is going. He punches you, you punch me, I punch him, somebody gets double teamed, somebody goes through the table and one of us stands tall with the belt. I'm just speeding this up. I call the table!" Andy smashed his microphone into Joe's head and Finn joined him in striking Joe.

"And there they go!" Joe shoved the two away and clotheslined Finn to the ground. Andy kicked him in the side and went for a kick to his skull. Joe caught the kick and sent Andy sailing across the ring. He made to Spear Andy, but the number one contender dodged to the side. As Joe turned around, he was hit by a flying Yakuza kick that sent him through the table. "And Andy making good on his threat!" Andy turned around and was hit with a Sling Blade before Finn hopped to his feet. He stared down at his opponent for Takeover before lifting his title high in the air.

"That's all the time we have, folks! Thank you for watching NXT! Tune in next time as the run for the championship reaches a boiling point as we get closer to Takeover!" The show faded from air with Finn standing tall over Samoa Joe and Andy.

XXX

And there's that. I'm trying to push forward and reach Takeover while I'm planning out how everything's going to go.


	8. Chapter 8

Blitzkrieg 8.0

Kevin Owens theme played throughout the Smackdown arena as he walked out to a plethora of boos from the crowd. As he walked down the ramp, he visibly laughed, and as he spotted a child wearing a Ride the Mercier tee shirt, he rubbed his eyes, as if pretending to cry. He entered the ring and walked to the opposite side before retrieving a microphone from an official. He walked to the center of the ring and stood there until his music died, basking in the fans hate. Then, he raised the mic up to his mouth. "Where, oh where, are my Sterling marks?" He questioned spitefully as the fans cheered. "And my Mercier marks?" Again, the fans cheered loudly. "Then I guess it was every single one of your hearts breaking that I heard last week when I laid them both out in this ring." The crowd booed angrily in response and Owens laughed again.

"You can boo me all you want. What I have to say is a fact. Neither one of those two quote and quote, wrestlers, deserve championships. And they certainly don't deserve to be put on pedestals as serious fighters by all you people! Every week I hear the same thing! Andy's strikes are so lethal! Look at that kick from Jordan!" Owens nostrils flared angrily as he imitated a preppy voice. "He has such a unique style! He's a black belt in this and this and that and this, oh shut up!" Kevin screamed at the crowd as the roared in disapproval. "Let me put it out there for you. The only reason Andy Mercier has an undefeated MMA streak is because he took on a few guys who are nothing short of jobbers in the octagon. And then he turned tail and ran before he could face a serious opponent. Someone like me. I mean, look at the evidence! Every week he's getting laid out by someone. Finn Balor, the Ascension... me." The crowd booed loudly again. "Samoa Joe missed his shot, but I don't doubt he'll have him knocked out before it's said and done. And Jordan Sterling? He's the worst of the two.

"Comparing him to me in a fight is like comparing a chihuahua to a pitbull. He'll get eaten alive. In fact, your precious striker isn't dangerous at all! The only thing he has any business striking and kicking is a soccer ball." The crowd made their disgust known. "So, Jordan, here's what I'm going to put out for you. Next week is the last Smackdown before the next Pay per view. I challenge you to a match. The winner is the number one contender for the United States Championship. Take your time to decide. I know you're cowering in your MMA gloves right now. I'll be back around tonight for your answer." Owens dropped his microphone as his music once again played throughout the arena before he vacated the ring and made his way back to the gorilla position.

"Some harsh words and a serious challenge from Kevin Owens there King." Michael Cole spoke as the wrestler disappeared.

"Yeah, and you have to know that Jordan Sterling is livid right now. I wonder how he'll respond." Jerry replied.

Backstage, Jordan stood up from his chair, nodding his head as he bit his bottom lip. "Oh, you got it Owens. You don't have to wait until next week though. I'm coming to find you right now." He pushed his steel chair across the locker room, letting it slam into the wall as he made his way to the door. He threw it open and found himself face to face with Andy.

"Easy there, mate." Andy spoke, placing a hand on his friends shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "That Muppets going to get his. But not right now. He's dodgy. He'll be waiting around a corner to ambush you." Jordan released a long, angry breath through his nose as he stared down at Andy.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have your own problems to worry about? Like Samoa Joe." Andy shrugged in response as he patted Jordan's shoulder.

"I'll deal with him come NXT. But tonight, I'm here to help you out. You have a match and you can't afford to have Owens screw you over. How you answer his challenge is up to you, but the accusations and attacks that bloke's been throwing around have me in this too." Jordan stared at Andy before nodding and returning to the locker room.

"Alright. But if he shows his face you might want to think about helping him. Because I'm going to rip him apart." Andy followed in after Jordan. They watched the television, waiting on Jordan's match. Then, a knock came at the door. Andy lifted his head from his hand and looked at Jordan.

"That you, mate?" He questioned to which Jordan shook his head and made to get up.

"Shouldn't be." Andy placed a hand out and had Jordan sit back down as he stood up.

"Stay calm. I'll get it then." Andy walked to the door and threw it open, revealing Becky Lynch on the opposite side. He stood still for a moment,no words coming to mind before he finally spoke. "Hey. Um, can I help you?" Becky shifted awkwardly before answering.

"I was coming to check on Jordan. To make sure he was ok after last week." Andy raised an eyebrow before smiling as he glanced over his shoulder to his friend, who was still oblivious to who was at the door.

"Is that right? Yeah, sure, he'll be so happy for you coming by. Doesn't get much attention from the ladies. Very sad really." Jordan's head snapped to his friend in some horror as he opened the door completely to reveal who he'd been talking to. "Hey Jordan, take a look to see who's come to check on you! It's Becky!" Jordan shot to his feet as the female wrestler stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"Hey Jordan." She spoke as Jordan remained silent.

"Jordan, be nice, say hi back." Andy spoke in a parental tone, causing Jordan's head to snap toward him.

"Shut up, muppet." He shot, causing Becky to laugh. "Hey Becky how are you doing?"

"That's my insult." Andy spoke, though he was mostly ignored.

"I'm doing good. I was coming by to make sure that you're ok after last week."

"Me? Oh yeah. Didn't even scratch me. No bark behind his bite..." Jordan trailed off as Andy gave him a very deadpanned stare. "I'm a little sore. But I'm doing good."

"That's good." Becky responded. The two stared at each other before Andy cleared his throat. "Oh! I need to go get ready. Be careful out there Jordan. Watch out for Kevin." With that, she disappeared from the doorway as Andy closed the door.

"Really? You can't just come out with it? You're just gonna beat around the Bush? You're a real muppet." Jordan stared at Andy with narrowed eyes.

"And where's your Cinderella?" Jordan questioned.

"I'll bring her home to you after Takeover." Andy returned with a cheeky grin. Jordan rolled his eyes and the two returned to the television. A shirt while later, an official came for Jordan and Andy opted to remain in the locker room. Riot played throughout the arena as Jordan made his way through the curtains into darkness. When the lights returned, he stood with a focused look on his face. He came to when knee as he reached the ramp and gave his cry of "One man enters and one man leaves!" Before making his way to the ring. He paused to bend his body to stare at the camera before jumping to the apron. He ran the ropes as tossed his shirt to the crowd before entering the ring. He stared off with his opponent, Dolph Ziggler. The official called out to them before the bell rang and the two wrestlers circled around the ring. They made to lock up, but Dolph made for a kick. Jordan dodged away and hit him in the ribs. Dolph clutched his arm to his side and cried out as he stumbled. A sharp kick to his knee sent the blond wrestler to one knee. Jordan hit a resounding shot to the blond's jaw, and Dolph hit the canvas.

"That looked like a knockout blow!"

"Jordan's really not pulling any punches tonight. I think he's sending a message to Kevin Owens." Jordan reached down and picked Dolph up by his hair as the referee chastised him. Dolph hit Jordan with a thumb to the eye, forcing him to let go. The blond wrestler bounded off the ropes before nailing Jordan with a flying forearm. The dark skinned wrestler hit the canvas and Dolph hit a kip-up elbow drop on him. Once on his feet, Dolph screamed "Come on!" Jordan made his way to his feet before his face smashed into the mat courtesy of of a famasser. Dolph covered, but only got a two count. He screamed angrily at the referee and pounded the mat before picking Jordan up and going for the zigzag. Jordan jerked forward and caught the top rope, forcing Ziggler to crash into the mat. As he rolled to his feet, a violent upper cut sent him spiraling to the ground. Jordan mounted his chest before delivering blow upon blow upon blow to his skull. This continued until the referee started to count and Jordan broke away at four.

"I think Dolph is out here. And I think Owens has really gotten under Jordan's skin." Jordan rolled from the ring and motioned for a camera guy. As he came near, Jordan jerked the camera away.

"I'm coming for you Owens! You're going to see me go primal!" He shouted before throwing the camera to the ground. He slid back into the ring and made his way to Ziggler. As he did, Kevin Owens theme blared and the wrestler walked out.

"You're coming for me?" Owens questioned as he made his way down the ramp. Not one to be distracted, Jordan pointed at the man before picking Dolph up. "No, I'm coming for you and my answer." Jordan bounced Ziggler off the ropes before catching him in a pop up Powerbomb. Then, he covered Ziggler as he kept his eyes on Kevin.

"Owens own finisher! And Jordan picks up the victory with it!" Jordan rolled off of his opponent and retrieved a microphone, motioning for his music to be cut.

"You're looking for the answer? Well I have it for you!" Jordan called as Owens reached the apron of the ring, raising his own mic to his mouth.

"Oh yeah? What's that 'striker'?" Owens questioned, using his fingers to make quotation marks. Then, a forearm smash into the back of his head. His arm was pulled violently and he was lifted onto Andy's shoulders in a torture rack.

"I accept your challenge! I'll see you next week!" Jordan called back before Owens was sent to the floor due to an inverted Ride the Mercier.

"Andy getting some much needed payback on Owens and Jordan making a big announcement by accepting that challenge! What else will happen tonight!? Stay tuned, Smackdown will be right back!" The show faded as Jordan exited the ring, making his way around Owens downed form.

The following NXT, Andy and Jordan entered the arena together. "You didn't have to come here, mate. I can handle myself." Andy spoke as they walked. Jordan wore a red Polo Shirt with a 'GBR' placed across the front with a pair of khaki joggers and a pair of casual white sneakers. Andy, still wearing his new style of having his hair slicked back with the front unruly, wore a tee shirt with a picture of him painted in his Spiderman paint holding his hand out like a gun, his black denim vest, black cargo pants and his black combat boots.

"I don't want to hear it. Owens is a rat, and you already have Samoa Joe running crazy and round here now. You were there for me, and now I'm going to return the favor."

"Well, I appreciate it." Andy returned as they rounded a corner, finding them face to face with Becky Lynch and Bayley. Jordan groaned inwardly as he felt a migraine, which he named Andy in advance, flare to life. As they were noticed, Bayley smiled brightly and bounded over.

"Hi Andy!" She called excitedly, and Jordan raised an eyebrow as Andy fidgeted in place.

"Um... Hi... Bayley." He spoke, stammering over his words.

"Is Andy okay?" Becky asked Jordan quietly, prompting him to shrug.

"I don't know. He was fine a second ago."

"I felt bad because I haven't actually gotten the chance to come over and talk to you since you've been here, and I know you've been having a rough go." Bayley spoke sympathetically as Andy continued to fidget with his hands.

"Yeah, I mean no!" He exclaimed, causing Bayley to jump. "I mean, it's ok that you haven't had time and, you know... it hasn't been that rough... I guess." Bayley stared at him intently, causing Andy to fidget even more. Then she smiled.

"Do you need a hug?" She questioned as she held her arms out. "I'm a hugger. Hugs make me feel better." Andy stared at her, suddenly standing very still. Bayley lowered her arms slightly and her face seemed slightly disheartened. "No?"

"No!" Andy called, causing Bayley to jump. "I mean, yes! I mean, I've never tried hugging it out before! I mean yes! I mean... Yes, hug me?" Andy ended with a strained smile with his arms slightly lifted. Bayley smiled in response before hugging Andy. Andy placed his cheek against the top of her head and stood there. Until Jordan cleared his throat, causing him to break away.

"We have to go Bayley." Becky spoke, indicating to the time. Her friend nodded, placing a hand on Andy's shoulder as he fidgeted more than before.

"It was nice to finally get to really talk to you. Let me know if you need anything. Oh, and Andy? Hang in there. It gets better." Bayley smiled at the wrestler and waved at him, Becky doing the same to Jordan as they walked away. "Have a good match, Andy." Andy waved after Bayley, then turned around to find Jordan with a devious smile on his face.

"Oi, what the hell are you looking at you muppet?" Andy questioned.

"So... it wasn't Asuka's dangerous hips you were really looking out for, huh mate?"

"Don't go there, wanker." Andy warned.

"You had me fooled. 'Taking the piss' with me about Becky. Talking like your focus really was solely on the title. But the reality is that youre worse than women than I am! And you have eyes for Bayley! Oh, I'm going to get back at you."

"Quit acting the maggot, you bloody muppet!" Andy called as Jordan chuckled.

"Hey Bay-" Andy slapped his hand over Jordan's mouth and began pulling him away toward the locker room.

"Keep quite, and I won't have to take you down." Jordan spoke, though it was muffled by Andy's hand. It sounded suspiciously like 'In your dreams'. They entered the locker room, Andy staring holes into his friend as he began getting ready for his night. Eventually, an official came and collected Andy, and Jordan followed him to the gorilla position.

"Who are you fighting, mate?" Jordan questioned.

"I don't know." Andy responded second before Crown of Thorns played throughout the NXT arena. Andy burst through the curtains with Jordan behind him to a huge pop from the fans. His hair still in his new hairstyle, he wore a pair of white trunks, white boots and kickpads with a rising sun painted on the right one, black knee pads and his hands taped like the previous weeks. He also wore his my skull is bulletproof shirt and a black bandanna that had a lower skull printed on it. Andy dropped to both knees, pointing both hands like guns at the ring before he slapped the ground and jumped to his feet with a shout of "Strong Style!" Before making his way down the ramp. He threw his shirt and bandanna to the crowd and paused at the end of the ramp, pointing his right hand in the air to "Strong!" Then the left to "Style!".

He lowered his hands like he was aiming an M16 into the ring before jumping onto the apron as Jordan made his way around ringside. Andy climbed the turnbuckle, pointing his hand like a gun around at the crowd before dropping into the ring. He walked tactically around the ring, aiming his arms like an M16 before he paused in his corner and dropped back in it. His music died and he waited patiently for his opponent. That's when William Regal appeared from the Gorilla position with a microphone in his hand.

"Hello, Andy. I'm sorry about the mystique you've had surrounding your opponent tonight. It's somewhat ironic you brought Jordan out here, because he's the one who inspired this match. Tonight you will face Samoa Joe one on one. If he wins he doesn't get your title shot, but the match becomes a triple threat. If you win, Samoa Joe is banned from your match at Takeover, and should he appear, his contract will be terminated." Regal lowered his mic as Andy bounced in the ring before Samoa Joe's theme played and he walked out, glaring hatefully at the general manager as he passed him. He slid in the ring and marched face to face with Andy before shoving him backwards. The referee stepped and forced them to opposite sides of the ring. He hesitated a moment before ringing the bell. Andy and Joe circled each other, Joe Wiping his face off with his forearm. They made to lock up, but Joe kicked out at Andy. Andy dodged back and caught the man's foot, dragon whipping Joe to the ground. The larger man's body hit the canvas and he rolled to his feet before he was hit with a Sling blade. Andy picked Joe up by his hair and struck him in the face. In response, Joe grabbed him with an explosive belly to belly suplex. Andy writhed in pain as his body bounced off of the mat. Joe wrapped his arm around Andy's neck from beside and began pounding away at his skull until he had to break his hold for the referee.

Joe picked Andy up by his jaw before launching him across the ring. As Andy sat up, a vicious kick to his back made him arch it in pain. Joe pulled Andy up by his hair before dropping him back down in an inverted DDT. He yelled at the fans before making to pick Andy up again. A swift kick to the skull sent the larger man stumbling away. Andy rushed the larger man, hitting him with a flying dropkick that sent him tumbling back into the turnbuckle. Rolling back to his feet, Andy rushed and launched himself through the air, hitting Joe with a high knee before alternating back and forth between elbows and knees to the man's skull in the corner. "And there's that unique style of Andy Mercier." Phillips stated.

"Andy is a dangerous man." Jordan answered in response. "Despite what Owens and Joe say, Andy is one of the most serious MMA fighters in the world. If someone tried to go long enough in the ring with him, they'd die." Andy jumped away from the corner and Joe slid into a sitting position. Andy ran and flew through the air, letting his feet slam into his opponent.

"Oh! His hesitation drop kicks are so beautiful!" Corey called as Andy gave a war cry. He pointed his hand like a gun at Joe as he yell "Shot down!" Before rushing at him. Joe dodged out of the way, hitting a German suplex on Andy, followed by a Dragon suplex, followed by a a Bridging X-Plex. "And the chimera plex, and that could be it!" Corey called before Andy kicked out of Joe's pin at two. Joe glared at the referee, before picking Andy up. "I think he might be going for the Coquina Clutch!" A rolling kick to the head sent Joe stumbling. Andy hit the mat, slid around Joe's body. Then he placed his hands under his jaw, hitting a back breaker before flipping Joe and Bridging it into a crossface.

"Show no Mercier! Joe's in the middle of the ring, and he has nowhere to go!"

"Andy's really putting the torque in it too! He almost has Joe broken in half! But Joe's trying to fight out of it. He's digging deep inside. He wants that title shot." Joe broke the hold, and hit an enzuigiri, sending Andy tumbling into the ropes. Joe Irish whipped him to the turnbuckle. As Joe followed closely behind, Andy launched himself through the air and onto the second rope before hitting a missile dropkick. Joe rolled across the mat, and as he came to his knees he was hit with a kinshasa to the back of the skull before going for the cover. "Andy's out! 1,2, 3! Andy takes the victory over Joe here tonight! His title shot remains one on one!" Andy celebrated to Crown of Thorns before it bled away into Owens theme. The man walked out and stood at the top of the ramp, glaring down at Andy and Jordan as he climbed into the ring. Before anything could become of the situation, William Regal made himself know, coming to stand right next to Owens.

"There will be none of this." He stated seriously. "Any fighting will be in a match and there is no other match for any of you tomight. However, by the time NXT rolls around again, Mr. Sterling and Mr. Owens will have had their contest, and the winner will have had his championship match. In addition, it is the last NXT before Takeover. So I'm going to make a match for everyone here, because there will be no interference in the NXT Championship match, for threat on your contract. Next week, right here on NXT, it will be Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe taking on the team of Jordan Sterling and Andy Mercier." Regal lowered his mic as the crowd roared.

"A major announcement by Mr. Regal!"

"And none of these men are shaking their heads no! They want to tear each other apart Phillips." Corey responded. As Samoa Joe joined Kevin Owens at the top of the ramp, NXT went off air with the two teams staring one another down.

Later, after Andy and Jordan had changed into Street clothes, they walked to Andy's rental car when Jordan paused suddenly. Andy stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "What?"

"I mean... yes, hug me? Really mate?" Andy flipped Jordan the bird as the dark skinned man laughed loudly.

"Go to hell, you damn wanker." Andy shot back as he got in his car. Jordan attempted to open the passenger door, but it was locked.

"Hey, unlock it." Andy rolled his window down before answering as he started the car.

"You can walk back to the hotel. Builds character." Jordan slammed his hand on top of the rolled down window and quickly reached in, opening the door from the inside before plopping down in the passenger seat as Andy laid his head against the steering wheel, laughing.

"Walk to the hotel." Jordan spoke, mimicking Andy's voice. "Oh, Bayley's going to hear a lot about you from me."

"Drop that!"

"Easy mate. I'm just 'Taking the piss' with you."

XXX

That's a wrap on this chapter. To each his own.


	9. Chapter 9

Blitzkrieg 9.0

Andy sat backstage at Smackdown. Wearing one of his Mercier Club shirts, blue jeans and converse, he sat on a steel chair backstage with his elbow on his leg and his head in his hand. He stared across the men's locker room at the sole television as he chewed a piece of bubble gum. Jordan and Kevin Owens had just finished their entrances and now stood with their foreheads butted together as they shoved each other around. The referee attempted to break them apart, but they continued their intimidation games. Once the referee realized he wasn't getting control of the match, he started a count to five. Finally, the two wrestlers broke away and moved to either of their corners. Owens and Jordan glared at each other across the ring. Then, the referee had the bell rung and the two wrestlers rushed across the ring at one another. They grabbed each other by the side of their skull and began trading hard blows with one another. "And the match is under way. With how it just started, it wouldn't surprise me if all we see is a brawl in the ring. In just a couple of weeks these two men have developed an intense hatred of one another." Jordan delivered a violent Headbutt to Owens skull, forcing him to stumbled. Jordan launched into a flurry of strikes to the abdomen, knocking Owens into the ropes where the referee forced him to back off. When Jordan came back to grab for him, Kevin gave him a thumb to his eye, Temporarily blinding him. Owens delivered a strong strike to Jordan's jaw before wrapping his arm around his opponents neck and violently Kneeing his chest. Then, he tossed Jordan across the ring. As Jordan came to a sitting position, Owens hit him with a low running elbow drop. Jordan stared up at the ceiling before Kevin began to violently kick him in the chest and face. Jordan rolled to his feet, and dodged under a running clothesline.

As Kevin turned around, Jordan hit a sharp jab to his jaw, sending him into the corner turnbuckle. Jordan rushed the man, slamming his full body into him with his arms over his chest. As Owens stumbled out of the corner, he was hit with a hip toss. As his back hit the ground, Jordan went to kick him the chest. Kevin caught his foot, however and twisted it before delivering a harsh blow to it. Jordan hobbled away before Owens caught him by the waist and he sent him to the mat via a German suplex. "Oh! What an explosive German suplex!" Owens went down after Jordan, wrapping his arm around his neck and pounding away at the top of his head. Jordan fought to free himself from the attack, but it was only broken by the referee with a count to four. Owens reached down and picked his opponent up by his hair before slapping him in the face.

Jordan stood still for a moment before delivering an uppercut to Owens. The wrestler stumbled back before a knee to the gut caused him to double over. An elbow to the back of his neck sent Owens face first into the mat. Jordan copied Owens movement and picked his opponent up before slapping him in the face. Owens made for a counter strike, but Jordan ducked it and hit Owens in the side of the face with an elbow. Then, he bounded off the ropes and hit Owens with a spear. As he looked at his wrist tape as of checking the time, King called out, "An M16! That could be the beginning of the end for this match!" Jordan gave a roar to the crowd before he began Stalking his opponent from the corner. As Owens got to his hands and knees, he had a punt kick delivered to his skull.

"From London With love!" Michael Cole cried out. As Jordan roared to the crowd again, causing them to roar back. Jordan went for the pin fall. He got a two count before the referee was pulled from the ring, his face smacking the ground below as Samoa Joe stood outside the ring. He reached down and picked a steel chair up off the ground as Jordan got to his feet. "This doesn't look good, King!" Samoa Joe began to enter the ring just as Andy barreled down the ramp with his own steel chair in hand. Joe swung at Jordan who jumped away before swing at Andy. Andy dodged right beside it before swing his own and smacking Joe in the head with it. The man stumbled and dropped his chair as Andy threw his chair to Jordan, who caught it. As Andy exited the ring and pushed the referee back in, Jordan cracked Joe over the head again, causing him to crumble through the ropes and to ringside. Jordan dropped his chair to Joe's body, and as Andy tried to wake the referee, Owens sprang to his feet with Joe's fallen chair, cracking Andy in the back of the skull with it, causing him too to fall through the ropes, though he landed on his neck.

"We need help out here!" King cried. "This match has gone off rails and Andy may have just had his neck broken!" Jordan turned and was hit in the gut by the end of the chair. As he doubled over and the referee started climbing to his feet, Owens slipped around Jordan and hit him with he chimera plex. The referee, groggy, slid to the mat and began counting. He got to two before Jordan forced himself out. Owens yelled in rage.

"Just day down!" He yelled as he made to pick Jordan up. The dark skinned wrestler grabbed his arm, however, and pulled him into a Hell's Gate.

"Bloody Hell! Jordan's got it locked in!" Owens fought against the submission, but was trapped in the center of the ring. He tried to lift Jordan up but only made the submission worse. As he began to fade, Owens tapped to the move. The referee called for the bell and sat down in the turnbuckle corner.

"And Jordan picks up the victory!" King called as Jordan kicked Kevin's body away from him before rushing to ringside.

"He's worried about his friend though." Cole added as Jordan checked Andy's unresponsive form. He lifted his head and waved urgently at the ramp.

"Bloody Hell! Hurry up and get someone down here! We need help!" The show faded to commercial as officals rushed to ringside to try to fix the carnage and help the injured.

The following Sunday at Payback, Jordan bounced back and forth on his feet. Andy was absent because he had not been cleared to compete until NXT. "And welcome back to Payback!" He heard Michael Cole from a nearby monitor as the pay per view came back from commercial. "Next up we have the United States Championship match between Jordan Sterling and Rusev." Seconds after the words had left his lips, Riot played throughout the arena. Jordan took a deep breath and then burst through the curtains." And here we go with Jordan Sterling making his entrance!" Jordan stood with a serious expression as the lights around him raised. Pumped up by the crowds massive response, Jordan dropped to one knee, gave his "One man enters and one man leaves!" Cry before making his way down the ramp with a short session of Shadow boxing.

"Oh yeah,and look how focused he is! He wants that belt!" King called.

"And remember, because of the debacle that happened on Smackdown, neither Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens or Andy Mercier, who hasn't been cleared to wrestle, can come to ringside. If they do, their contract will be terminated!" Jordan paused at the end of the ramp and bent to look at the camera before Leaping on the apron. He ran the ropes and threw his shirt to the crowd before entering the ring and staring at the ramp as his music died. Rusev's own played and the large wrestler made his entrance. Once he had entered the ring, the referee retrieved the United States title and raised it high in the air with both arms. He walked to the edge of the ring and handed it to an official before returning to the center of the ring. He spoke to both combatants before he called for the bell and it rang. The two began to circle one another.

"The bell rings and the contest is under way!" Rusev and Jordan went to lock up, but Jordan dodged to the side and delivered a kick to Rusev's leg. As he went slightly lopsided, Jordan delivered a swift knee to the gut. Grabbing Rusev's bent form, Jordan hip flipped him to the mat before he placed his hands to his abdomen and began delivering harsh knees to the side. Rusev struck upwards and cracked the side of Jordan's face, sending him to the side where Rusev's knee slammed into the other side. Rusev shoved the dark skinned wrestler away before standing to his feet. Rusev yanked Jordan up using his jaw before delivering three Headbutts that sent him crumbling back to the mat. Rusev retrieved his opponent from the canvas again before performing a fallaway slam. Jordan arched his back and grit his teeth as he was yanked to his feet by his hair before being clotheslined to the ground. Jordan was grabbed by his shoulders before being pulled to his feet. This time, he broke the hold and delivered a harsh uppercut that caused Rusev's head to snap back.

Jordan grabbed Rusev by his waist and lifted him into the air before panting him on his back and mounting his chest with a flurry of strikes to the skull. He rolled away as the referee reached a four count. Picking Rusev up by his neck, Jordan kneed him in the chest multiple times before launching him into the corner. Jordan slammed his entire body into his opponents, causing him to stumble out of the corner before he hit Rusev with another uppercut. The large man fell to a seated position in the corner and Jordan delivered a sharp kick to the side of his skull that bounced it off of the turnbuckle. Rusev leaned forward, and Jordan stomped on his back in his seated position. Rusev rolled out of the corner, writhing. Jordan reached down and picked Rusev up, but a thumb to his eye sent him stumbling in place. Rusev capitalized and caught his contender in a fallaway Samoan drop.

Jordan laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling as Rusev climbed the turnbuckle. He launched himself through the air and hit a flying Headbutt on his opponent. Jordan grabbed at his face and rolled across the mat. Rusev began Stalking Jordan. "I think Rusev is about to go for the Accolade!" As Rusev drew closer, Jordan performed a kip-up, stumbling before he hit his opponent with a flying kick. Rusev hit the mat and Jordan began stomping the mat and yelling before he began circling Rusev as if he wasn't sure what to do next. As Rusev found his way to his knees, he was hit with a shining wizard. "Oh! And there's Jordan's Liscence to Kill!" Cole called. "And now he's picking Rusev back up! What's he going to do!?" Jordan delivered a devastating kick to the gut before hitting Rusev with a Power-Bomb.

"And there's tea time!" King crowed as Jordan dropped to his knees before covering Rusev. "One, two, three! Jordan's done it! Despite all the obstacles he's faced on his way to this match with Rusev, Jordan has claimed the United States Championship!" Riot played loudly as the fans roar became deafening. Jordan got to one knee and stared, disbelieving, as the referee handed him the United States title.

"Here's your winner, and the NEW United States Champion, Jordan Sterling!" Jordan launched himself to his feet as adrenaline rushed through him and presented his title to the fans as the entire arena seemed to Rumble from their cheers.

"Jordan achieving one of his many child hood dreams here tonight! Stay tuned, Payback will be right back for an every diva for herself battle royal to decide the next contender for the WWE Women's Championship!" The pay per view faded to commercial with Jordan standing tall, his new title extended high overhead and tears in his eyes.

XXX

And that's a wrap. I realize Takeover wouldn't be directly after a pay per view, but I'm going to work around that. I feel that, theoretically, they could have Takeover any Sunday not shared with another WWE pay per view.


	10. Chapter 10

Blitzkrieg 10.0

Jordan entered the NXT men's locker room. A look of worry passed away from his features as he found Andy sitting in a steel chair, wrapping his hands in white tape. Andy glanced up and gave a tired smile. "Hey mate! Congratulations on your Payback win! Sorry I couldn't be there." Jordan smiled in response as he placed a hand on his friends shoulder.

"Thank you, and don't worry about it. I understand. Listen, are you ok? You seem a little off." Andy released a long sigh as he leaned back in his chair, letting his head hang over the back.

"I'm exhausted. I haven't gotten much sleep since Smackdown. All the doctors made me nervous running around me all the time." Andy shrugged as he sat up straight, Jordan watching as he rubbed the side of his neck.

"What about your neck though? I've seen the playback. You took a dodgy spill."

"I'll be ok. No lasting damage and nothing too serious. Just a lot of pain. I got lucky." Jordan nodded in solemn understanding before a knock came from the locker room door. Jordan made to answer it, but Andy stopped him. "Take a seat. I'll get it, mate." Jordan reluctantly sat down and watched as Andy opened the door before jumping slightly.

"Hey... Bayley!" Andy stumbled over his words causing Jordan to chuckle as he leaned back in his chair. "What, uh... What're you doing here? I mean, not that you can't be here! But, uh, do... do you need me to find somebody for you?" Jordan heard Bayley laugh on the other side of the door.

"No. I was hoping to see you." She replied.

"Me?" Andy questioned with raised eyes as he placed his free hand on his chest.

"Yeah! I was watching Smackdown, and I saw what happened to you. I was really worried." Andy fidgeted in place and rubbed the side of his neck.

"Well... that was thoughtful."

"So how is it?" Bayley questioned.

"How is what?"

"Your neck." Bayley returned with a laugh.

"My neck...? Oh, it's fine. Just some pain from my fall." Andy spoke with a nod. Jordan watched as his friend fidgeted heavily when Bayley reached through the doorway to touch his neck.

"That must've been scary. Be safe in your match tonight, ok?" Bayley spoke before withdrawing her hand. Andy nodded in response, and as Bayley began to leave he started to close the door. He stopped however as Bayley stopped and turned back around. "Hey! Some of us are going out tonight! Would you and Jordan like to come?"

Andy opened his mouth and looked like he was trying to answer. Jordan rolled his eyes and stood to his feet, walking to Andy and placing his arm around his shoulders. "What this bloke's trying to say is yes, we'd love to come." Bayley looked to Andy for confirmation and he nodded in response. Bayley smiled brightly.

"Great! I'll come find you guys after the show!" Bayley waved before leaving, Andy closing the door.

"How'd I do, mate?" Andy questioned as he and Jordan returned to the locker room to finish getting ready for their match.

"On a scale of wanker to muppet?"

"Sure."

"You're a bumbling idiot." Andy scowled at his friend.

"You're any better?"

"At least I can talk to Becky. Relax. I told Bayley that you had a crippling fear of women outside the ring." Andy's head snapped to Jordan in horror.

"Did you really?" Jordan laughed in response as an official opened the locker room door and called for them.

"No. But I will tonight."

"You bloody muppet!" Andy rushed after his partner. Moments later, they arrived at the gorilla position. Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens stood shoulder to shoulder with one another in the ring. And took a deep breath and shook his arms as Crown of Thorns played. "I'll see you out there, muppet." Andy burst from the curtains, leaving his partner behind to the roar of the crowd.

Wearing white trunks, white boots, white kick pads, black knee pads, his hands wrapped, a my skull is bulletproof shirt and a bullet bandanna, he came down on one knee, lifting his head like a gun against the side of his skull. He hesitated before shaking his head and pointing the hand at his opponents with a nod. He shot at them before slapping the ground and launching to his feet with a cry of "Strong Style Shooter!" He walked down the ramp, giving his bandanna to a young girl with an I'm a hugger tee shirt. He reached the end of the ramp and lifted his hands like guns to the crowd as they called "Strong!" Then he turned and rushed back up performing the same motion as they yelled "Style!". He turned around with a smug smirk before walking to the ring and jumping on the apron. He climbed the turnbuckle and performed his hanging draw before dropping in the ring. He pretended to hold an M16 and shot at Owens and Joe. They moved toward him and the referee forced him back as Andy fell into his corner. His music died and he pointed to the ramp, the lights fading to black, as Riot replaced Crown of Thorns.

When the lights returned, Jordan stood at the top of the stage with his United States championship held high and a focused expression on his face. He dropped the belt onto his shoulder before making his way down the ramp. He paused at the end of it to bend and look at the camera before jumping on the apron and running the ropes with his belt in hand. He tossed his shirt to the crowd and entered the ring, handing his title to the referee to give to an official before tapping hands with Andy. They exchanged some words before Owens and Jordan left the ring. The bell rang before Joe and Andy began circling one another. "And here we go folks! Get ready because these four men are about to try to rip each other apart!" Joe and Andy locked up and fought for dominance. Joe smashed his head into Andy's, winning the contest of strength. Joe slammed his knee into Andy's gut, forcing him to double over. Grabbing him by the head, Samoa Joe flipped him into a seated position before delivering a kick to his back. Andy cried out before he was jerked to his feet. He was bounded off the ropes and ducked under a clothesline. Stopping in place, he hit Joe in the back of the head with a reverse Enzuigiri. Samoa Joe stumbled, and Andy rushed the ropes, performing a springboard back elbow drop. The two wrestlers hit the mat and Andy rolled to his feet, motioning for Joe to get up. As he did he was nailed in the face with a shining wizard. Andy jumped to his feet, pointing his hand like a gun around at the crowd. They cheered loudly as Andy hit the ropes before hitting Joe with a flying Yakuza kick. Andy picked his opponent up before Irish whipping him into the corner. And followed closely behind before launching himself through the air with a high knee to the face. Jordan stepped in the ring when Andy tagged him in. Andy performed a combination of elbows and knees to the skull as Jordan punched away at Joe's abdomen. As the referee hit a count of four, Andy flipped over the top rope and to the apron as Jordan hit Joe with an upper cut. As Joe stumbled out of the corner, he was hip flipped to the mat. Jordan covered Joe's body with his own before delivering knees to his skull.

Jordan rolled away and stood to his feet before reaching down to drag Joe to his feet. Joe responded by raking his opponents eyes. Jordan grasped at his face before he was Suplexed to the mat. Joe stood to his feet, Wiping his face with his forearm before Kneeing Jordan in the skull as he tries to get off the canvas. He was yanked from the ground and Irish whipped into the corner. Joe slammed into him with a full force spear and held him in the corner with his shoulder as Kevin Owens reached over and tagged Joe's back. The new legal man climbed into the ring and landed harsh blows to Jordan's skull as Joe held him in place before he was forced to exit the ring due to a four count. Owens pulled Jordan from the corner to an elbow to the face. Jordan's head bounced off the mat and the crowd began chanting "Let's go Jordan!" In an attempt to rally him to his feet. "Shut up!" Owens screamed at the crowd as they booed. "This is your striker!?" He called as he slapped Jordan in the back of the head. "This is a prize fighter!?" Kevin picked Jordan up before dropping him to the mat with a power slam. "He's a joke! He doesn't deserve to be champion!"

Owens went to pick Jordan up again, but a leg sweep sent him to his own back. As Owens quickly tried to sit up, Jordan slammed his knee into his face. Jordan mounted Owens chest and began punching at his opponents skull before he was forced to break away because of the referee counting to four. Owens felt at his forehead as he laid on the mat before he was pulled to his feet Owens slammed into the corner as he was Irish whipped before Jordan's entire body slammed into him. As Kevin stumbled out of the corner, he was hit with an uppercut that caused his head to whip back before he fell into a sitting position in the corner. A strong kick to the side of the head caused Owens skull to bounce of the turnbuckle. As he bent forward, Jordan kicked him in the back of the skull, causing him to jump to his knees and crawl out of the corner. Jordan followed after him and grabbed him by the shoulders before pulling him to his feet. Owens struck out with an elbow to the side of Jordan's head. Turning around, Kevin Irish whipped Jordan into the corner. Owens gave a war cry as his own body slammed into Jordan's. Joe tagged himself in and used the rope as leverage to kick Jordan in the back of the head before entering the ring.

Joe picked Jordan up off the mat, pointing at Andy and yelling at him before slamming Jordan's face into the mat. Samoa Joe kicked his opponent in the ribs, causing him to flip over on his back. Joe bent over, screaming at Jordan. Jordan struck up, hitting Joe on the jaw. Working his way to his feet, Jordan elbowed Joe in the back of the neck before Irish whipping him into the corner. Jordan followed after, smashing his forearm into Joe's face before tagging Andy back in. Andy jumped into the ring and delivered a kick to Joe's abdomen before Jordan returned to the apron. Andy hit a springboard Enzuigiri to the side of Joe's head, causing Joe to drop into a sitting position. Andy ran to the middle of the ring before launching through the air and slamming his feet into Joe's chest. "Hesitation dropkick! I don't know if there's anybody who does them better!" Andy jumped to his feet and pointed his hand like a gun at Joe, yelling "Shot down!" As Joe crawled across the ring. A clothesline to the back of his neck sent Andy to the mat as Kevin stood over him. Jordan jumped into the ring, and Owens ducked under his arm. Jordan got caught in a chimera plex from Samoa Joe. Andy bounced off the ropes toward the back of Owens. Kevin turned at the last second and caught him in a pop up Powerbomb that landed his opponent directly on his neck. "Straight onto the injury Andy got on Smackdown!" Kevin stared down at Andy before walking away and kicking Jordan out of the ring. Joe moved to Andy and placed him in a rear naked choke. "The Coquina Clutch! Andy's out folks! The referee is calling for the bell!" Samoa Joe kept the hold on Andy as his music played until he was forced to let him go.

"You know that wasn't how Jordan wanted his first match as Champion to go, and Andy definitely didn't want it to end like that going into Takeover." Corey spoke as Owens and Joe screamed at the crowd.

"These are your champions!? They're pathetic! Just like all of you!" Owens made himself very vocally heard as NXT faded to commercial.

After being helped from the ring, to cheers from the crowd, Jordan and Andy walked backstage as Andy solemnly unwrapped his hands. "They got the better of us." Andy spoke with a grim expression on his face.

"We'll get them back. This isn't the end of all of that. I promise." Jordan responded as he patted Andy on the shoulder. "I have to get a shower. Don't let it get you too down, mate." Andy nodded in response as his friend walked away before retrieving a water bottle from a nearby catering table. He took a drink of it before he heard a voice.

"Hey." Andy raised an eyebrow and turned around, finding Brianna Kelly standing behind him. She wore a black jean jacket, Pink Sequined tank top, black boot cut jeans, and knee length dark brown high heeled cowboy boots.

"Oh. How are you doing, WhatCulture? What are you doing at NXT? You're Smackdown." Brianna nodded in response before talking.

"I know. I came to ask you a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yeah. I won the number one contender spot for the WWE Women's Championship at Payback. But I'm not being taken as a serious competitor like I should be. I'm not a diva. I'm a female wrestler, and I should be treated like it."

"Of course." Andy responded honestly with a nod. "But what do you want me to do about that?"

"Train me." She responded eagerly, causing Andy to lower his water bottle.

"Train you...?"

"Train me. I'm a good wrestler, I know I am. I wouldn't be where I am if I wasn't. But I apparently I don't have the right moves to be considered top tier. You do. After watching your WhatCulture videos, I youtube matches of you. You wrestled Finn Balor in a forty five minute long match and injured your arm fifteen minutes into it. Thirty minutes facing Shinsuke Nakamura. You change your styles to get the fans to love you, or legitimately hate you. If you could help me learn some of those traits then I know I can achieve the top tier I've dreamed of my whole life."

Andy took another drink of his water before speaking. "If I trained you, which I'm not saying I will, it won't be easy. I stumbled and failed so many times in the beginning of my career. And so will you. You'll stumble and fall. You'll bleed and sweat. And you will cry. That's the price it takes to get to the top." Brianna nodded in response.

"I've done that since the beginning as I climbed the ladder."

"I'll give you a trial run. Not this week though, okay? I have to be prepared for Finn, and my neck is killing me right now." Brianna smiled happily.

"Thank you so much! You won't regret this! I'll make you proud."

"I know you will." Brianna gave a quick goodbye and the two wrestlers parted ways. Andy reached the men's locker room where Jordan was already getting changed into Street Clothes and began his post match routine. As he finished getting ready, a knock came at the locker room door. Andy and Jordan answered it to find Bayley and Becky on the other side.

Bayley wore a yellow tank top, a black skirt and black shoes with yellow and black Wristbands on her right arm. Becky wore a black shirt that cut off midriff, black jeans and black shoes with a bracelet on her kept arm. In contrast, Jordan wore a red Polo Shirt with a GBR one the front with a pair of khaki joggers and white sneakers. And Andy wore a red flannel long sleeve shirt with his black vest, black cargo pants and black combat boots. "Hey guys, are you ready?" Becky asked as Jordan shifted from one foot to the other. Andy messed with the front of his partially slicked back hair as he responded.

"Jordan's been for a while, I just got done." Becky nodded in response as Andy looked over. "You, um... You look great, Bayley." He spoke causing her to smile brightly.

"Thanks. You too. So we're going down the road to a dance club. Do you mind if we ride with you?" Andy began fidgeting again as Jordan retrieved their duffel bags, throwing Andy his.

"That'd be fine." Jordan responded with a nod.

"Thanks." Becky spoke. "And congratulations on your title win. I haven't got to say it yet. You must be really proud." Jordan nodded happily as they left the locker room and began walking to Andy's rental as Andy placed some gum in his mouth.

"I am. It's the second true step to my dream of being the WWE Champion." Andy opened the door to his car and got in, letting the other three in before starting the car and beginning to drive.

"And the first?" Becky questioned.

"Joining the WWE of course. From the moment I saw the Undertaker walk down the ramp on his debut, I knew this is what I wanted to do." Becky nodded in understanding with a smile.

"What about you, Andy?" Bayley questioned. Andy looked in the rear view mirror at her face and chewed harshly on his gum before answering.

"WWF and WCW. My mom would watch it with me every time. Wasn't ever that into Undertaker to be honest with you, no offence mate." Jordan looked out the window, mumbling good naturedly under his breath. "I liked the Rockers. And when Shawn Michaels broke out, I thought it was amazing."

"So that's why you became a wrestler?"

"No. I didn't think I belonged in the wrestling world because of my small height and weight. No, it became my life when New Japan came to me when I was doing MMA. I thought back to watching Shawn Michaels and Triple H in DX and Stone Cold Steve Austin and I knew, right then, that's what I wanted to do for the rest of my life." Bayley nodded in understanding as Becky spoke up.

"Make a right here." Andy did as he was told and they found themselves at the dance club. The group of four exited the vehicle and met up with a much larger group of wrestlers. The big group split out as the night went on to do their own things.

"So you're really a black belt in all of those Martial arts?" Becky asked Jordan asked as they sat in a booth.

"I am. That's why everything is so personal between Owens and I. I take my trades very seriously, and he has no reason to attack who I am." Becky placed her head in her hand.

"I get it. I got so many 'you don't belong here' taunts when I got to NXT. Who is anybody to tell me what I have and haven't heard?"

"Exactly!" Jordan exclaimed with a nod. "When I got here, the only person that believed in me was Kofi Kingston. That's why we're such good friends. But I think Andy and I are actually closer friends even though I haven't known him as long. We have a similar background, and we have a friendly rivalry."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I joke that he's not really from the UK and that I'm a better striker. And he always has a come back. When we hit the gym together, we're always there to outdo one another."

"I completely understand." Becky responded as she and Jordan began to observe the club. It hadn't even begun to die down.

"You really said that to him?" Bayley questioned Andy with a laugh.

"One hundred percent truth!" Andy responded with a chuckle as he leaned against as rail. "But back then me and Shinsuke really thought that we each were the best Strong Style wrestler. Now days, we just kind of let the fans decide who they want to call King of Strong Style, even though we both still boast the name."

"I haven't seen you and him around each other really. I was hoping to see a rematch between you two live." Bayley spoke in observation.

"Haven't had the time. He's busy with what he's doing and I'm chasing the title. But if I have anything to say about it, you'll see that rematch. And we've both grown so it should only be better." Bayley nodded with a smile before a happy tempod song came over the speakers.

"Hey! This is one of my favorite songs! Come dance with me!" Bayley called over the music as she grabbed his hand and pulled, though he remained against the rail with a nervous look on his face.

"I... I cant. I don't know how to dance, and I'm wearing boots, and my neck hurts." Bayley gave a disbelieving look before pulling on his hand again.

"I've seen what you can do in ring, I bet you have some moves. Your boots won't get in the way and we'll be careful on your neck." Andy Still didn't seem sure. "Come on! I'll teach you how to dance! You know I have the moves."

Andy laughed as Bayley smiled and finally followed after her. "Alright. But just one." The night went on, with the wrestlers enjoying it to its fullest. Andy, Bayley, Jordan and Becky would eventually leave, with the female wrestlers being dropped off at their hotel before Andy and Jordan went to their own.

At NXT Takeover, Andy rolled his shoulder with a loud pop as he pulled on his ring gear. The door to the locker room opened, and Andy lifted his head to find Jordan. "What're you doing here, mate?" Andy questioned as he leaned back, placing his hands on his knees.

"Coming to wish you luck." Jordan responded as he leaned against the wall. "I haven't seen you since we went out, especially since I had Smackdown off." Andy nodded in response. "I know you're going to win tonight, and then we'll be champions together. I do have a question."

"What's that?"

"You and Finn have a long history. You've known one another for years. But you've both grown. Do you have a plan to get the upper hand on him?" Andy paused for a moment before sending a devious smile to his friend.

"You'll see."

Finn Balor entered in his Demon attire, and made his way to the ring. Once his entrance ended and his music died, he stood and waited for his opponent. The lights died down until it was almost completely dark in the arena as the fans screamed. "There exists monsters in the world, more frightening than demons." A deep voice reverberated. "There's no turning back, Balor. Offer your soul! And I will show you the greatest... Nightmare." Crown of Thorns began playing, but a much different version. The only instruments playing were a violin and a piano with female vocals backing up the singers track placed over the music. "What is going on here?" Phillips questioned as a figure appeared on top of the stage. They dropped to both knees as the lights flashed red before going pitch black. Then they raised to show the figure still on his knees. "It's Andy! I think..."

Andy slid his thumb across his throat before rising to his feet with his arms outstretched. He wore black trunks with flames on the left side and a yellow eye with a red iris on the right. He wore black boots with black kick pads, the left being plain while the right had flames consuming it. He had black knee pads, the right having teeth like Balor's own except with elongated fangs while the left had the same eye from the trunks. His body, like Finn's, was painted.

The upper part of his head was painted black like Finn's but he had his lower face painted like the lower part of a skull with elongated fangs. His upper body was painted black with red Markings like Finn's own with the eye from his attire in the middle of his chest. His abdomen was painted like it was a mouth with the teeth opened, making it seem as if his body was actually split with black paint causing the effect. His right arm was painted black with a black armband coming up to it. The design on it was eerily similar to Finn's own armbands. The left arm was painted black and red with an eery orange. He had an armband on this arm with the same design extending down. This armband extended down into a glove on his right hand.

Andy lowered his arms and began making his way down the ramp. He stopped at the end of the ramp, lifting his right hand like a gun to a shout of "Strong!" Before lifting his left to "Style!". Then, he shifted his hands, one pointing to Finn and one pointing to his head before shooting them both. Instead of jumping on the apron, he walked up to it.

He grabbed the first, then second rope before using it to reach the top rope. He then switched his grip so he was facing the camera before pulling up and placing his feet on the apron with his body between the ropes. Andy pointed his hand at the camera and shot at it before making his way to the corner and climbing the turnbuckle. He performed his hanging draw before dropping in the ring. His body went to the mat very much like his Spiderman pose before crawling across the canvas. Then, he jumped to his feet so that he was nose to nose with Finn Balor. The crowd roared in approval as Crown of Thorns faded away. The referee stepped forward, placing one hand on either man's chest before forcing them away from each other and into their respective corners. Then, he retrieved the NXT championship. He held it high for the crowd as they cheered. Then he handed it to an official. He called to either combatant, then called for the bell.

Andy and Finn rushed away from their corners and began circling one another on their feet. "Here we go! Finn and Andy circling each other. And Corey, what do you think about that entrance and paint from Andy?"

"On one hand, he's definitely trying to get inside of Finn's head here. On the other, Finn and Andy have known each other a long time and are a lot alike. Maybe Andy has his own alternate personality that we just haven't seen yet?" Corey answered. Andy and Finn locked up. Finn pulled Andy's arm behind his back. He pushed forward before Andy whipped around. He brought Finn in a headlock, but the Irish wrestler fought out and twisted Andy's arm back behind his back. Andy reversed around and put Finn's own in the position. Finn kicked back and Andy dodged away, breaking the hold and allowing Finn to twist his arm. Andy performed a low front flip and swept at Finn's feet. The wrestler jumped over, and tried keeping his hold. Andy did another low flip, forcing Finn to release him. The crowd roared at the showmanship as the two wrestlers circled each other in the center of the ring.

"These two know each other so well Corey." Phillips spoke as Corey nodded.

"So well. These two were tearing it up with one another in New Japan before most of these fans knew who they were."

"I have to tell you, it's almost difficult to tell these men apart even qith their paint being different."

"And that comes as no surprise. Andy and Finn are the same height and around the same weight too." Andy and Finn locked up in the middle of the ring as the crowd cheered. Andy broke away, slamming Finn's face into the mat by wrapping his legs around his opponents and twisting. Andy twisted it up into a submission, but broke it as Finn got close to the ropes. Andy grabbed Finn by his arms, dragging him to his knees. Then, Andy dropped to the mat, placing his feet into Finn's back. Finn sailed over Andy and bit the canvas as he hit. Andy rolled to his feet and landed a shining wizard as Finn got to his knees, clutching his chest. Andy stood to his full height and looked around at the crowd before reaching down and grabbing his opponents head and dragging him to his feet. Finn hit a sharp strike to Andy's jaw before landing an Enzuigiri to the side of his head, sending him to one knee. A running knee to the face sent Andy to his back. Finn slammed his foot into Andy's gut, causing him to sit up before he kicked his opponent multiple times in the chest, sending him back to his back. Andy was dragged back to his feet, and Finn dodged under a punch before launching his opponent away with an arm drag. As Andy rolled to his feet, he was hit with multiple kicks that resounded loudly throughout the arena to the crowds 'oohs'. As Andy held his sides, Finn grabbed him by the back of the head dropped him face first into the mat. Finn crawled on his hands and knees to Andy before picking him up. Andy swiped at him, but he ducked before hitting his opponent with a Pele kick. Andy hit the ground and Finn stared down at him before picking him back up to his feet. Andy kneed his opponent in the gut, causing Finn to double over. Andy then kneed Finn in the head, causing his body to twist and land on his back. As he stood to his feet, he was hit with a spinning kick by Andy. Andy struck out with his leg as Finn found his way to his knees, kicking him multiple times in the chest. Finn caught Andy's leg as he continued the onslaught before Dragon whipping him to the ground. Andy's head slapped against the canvas and Finn slowly lowered himself to the ground.

Finn picked himself before climbing the turnbuckle. As Andy found his feet, he was hit with a flying cross body. As Finn rolled to his feet, he kicked Andy in the chest. Reaching out to grab Andy, the downed wrestler shot out with his legs, catching Finn's neck between his ankles before sending him through the ropes and to the ground below. Finn bounced off the ground and fought to catch his breath as Andy stood to his feet. Andy took a deep breath as Finn found his way to his feet before he bounded off the ropes before Diving over the opposite ones in a spaceman Moonsault Plancha. Andy and Finn hit the pavement and fought to catch their breath. Andy stood to his feet and climbed to the apron using the same means he had during his entrance. This gave Finn time to recover, and when he stood to his feet, Andy performed a suicide Arabian press. Andy rolled to his feet before lowering himself to the ground. The crowd had erupted into a chant split between "Let's go Andy!" And "Let's go Finn!". Andy went to pick Finn up, but Finn broke the hold and hit another Pele kick that sent Andy staggering. Finn rushed into the ring, hit the opposite ropes and cleared the ropes before nailing Andy with a suicide somersault senton. The two combatants once again hit the ground. Finn picked Andy up and hit him with a stiff shot to the jaw before sliding into the ring to break the count. He then slid out of the ring on the adjacent side. As he turned, Andy had run and jumped, his body sliding under the third turmbuckle before nailing Finn with a dropkick. Finn hit the ground and Andy rolled from under the turnbuckle before he slowly began climbing it. Finn hurried to his feet and climbed the apron, trying to pull Andy down. Andy kicked his opponent away before Leaping off the ropes, catching Finn's head and dropping them both back to ringside with a DDT. "Oh my god! These two are killing each other!" Phillips cried out as the fans broke into a chant of 'Holy Shit!".

"I don't know if there's anymore left in the tank for either of these men." Corey responded as Andy and Finn stirred on the ground. Andy was the first to his feet and slid half way into the ring before dropping back out to break the count. He slowly picked Finn up and rolled him into the ring before following after him. Andy wrapped his arm around Finn's neck before placing his hand his head like a gun and shooting it. He picked Finn up and bounced him off the ropes. When Finn rebounded though, he hit Andy with a Sling blade. "Finn going for the cover here. But Andy kicks out at two!" Finn stood to his feet and waited for Andy to do the same. When the contender was on his feet, Finn hit him with a dropkick that launched Andy across the ring and into the corner. Finn rushed across the ring and performed a hesitation dropkick that sent Andy rolling out beside the turnbuckle. Finn climbed the turnbuckle and hit Andy with the Coup De Grace. Covering, he again only got a two count. "No! Andy kicks out again!" Finn looked around in shock before standing to his feet. He went to pick Andy up, but a sharp kick to the face sent him away. Andy rushed Finn with a flying Yakuza kick that dropped him. Andy picked Finn up and Irish whipped him into the corner. Andy launched himself through the air with a high knee before landing a combo of knee strikes and elbows to the skull before dropping away. Finn dropped down into a sitting position and Andy returned the favor by hitting a hesitation dropkick. As Finn rolled away, Andy copied him by using the Coup De Grace and going for the cover. Like Finn, he also only got a two count.

"What is it going to take for one of these men to put the other away!?" Andy and Finn both Lay on the mat, staring up at the ceiling. Andy and Finn moved off the mat and stood nose to nose in the center of the ring, exhausted as the fans chanted 'This is awesome!".

"I'm the demon!" Finn screamed.

"And I'm the Nightmare!" Andy responded before Finn swung at him. Andy dodged to the side before Kneeing him in the gut. As Finn doubled over, and grabbed his arm and pulled him onto his shoulders before performing a Go 2 Sleep.

"Ride the Mercier! That has to be it! No! Finn kicks out! Neither man wants to lose this war!" Andy sat up, staring at the referee in disbelief through his smeared face paint. Pushing himself to his feet, Andy picked Finn up in a torture rack before performing a Ura G2S. "And now an inverted Ride the Mercier! Another cover! Finn kicks out! Oh my god! How are there still going!?" Andy looked around in utter shock, and tears of frustration stung his eyes. He pulled Finn to his feet, but the champion punched him in the gut to get some offence. Quickly, Finn capitalized and hit Andy with a lifting single underhook DDT.

"Finn Balor's 1916! I think that's all she wrote- Andy Mercier just kicked out! The fans are going ballistic!" The arena shook from the crowd as they stomped their feet, split down the middle as they chanted "Demon!" And "Nightmare!". Finn grasped at his hair and lay on his back next to Andy's unmoving body. "Frustration is starting to eat these two alive." Finn stood to his feet and slowly climbed the turnbuckle for another Coup De Grace. As he reached the top though, Andy jumped to his feet with adrenaline and leaped to the turnbuckle before sending Finn across the ring with a hurricanrana. Getting to his feet as Finn bounced to his knees, Andy bounced off the adjacent rope before slamming Finn's face into the mat with a Frankensteiner Driver. Finn's body shot upright on his knees, dazed as Andy bounded of the ropes before nailing Finn in the back of the skull with a Kinshasa. Finn's body twisted and landed on his back as Andy's body went limp and fell over him.

"Andy's out! 1, 2, Oh my god! It's over! It's finally over! Andy Mercier has just beaten Finn Balor for the NXT Championship!" Phillips called as the normal Crown of Thorns played through the arena as the crowd jumped to their feet. Screaming in approval. The referee retrieved the title, but Andy remained limp on Finn. The official shook him, and Andy eventually stirred, pushing to both knees. He took the title, dazed and confused before shock settled in. Tears formed in his eyes and he raised the belt high as he fought to his feet to the fans cheering.

"I did it!" He called out.

"Here is your winner, and NEW NXT Champion, Andy Mercier!" Andy stumbled and came to one knee as he breathed heavily.

"That he is. There's your new NXT Champion. And man did he earn it." Corey spoke. Andy pushed to his feet and turned, finding Finn standing, breathing as heavily as him as Crown of Thorns died. The two stared down before coming nose to nose and exchanging words. The fans waited with baited breath before Finn raised his hand high in the Too Sweet gesture. Andy smiled with Finn as he formed the same hand sign and touched it to Finn's before the two embraced in a hug. The crowd roared at the site. Finn patted Andy on the shoulder before he exited the ring. Andy stared up at the ceiling as he held his new title to his chest. Then, Turn It Up by CFO$ played as, to the fans delight, Bayley came out, passing Finn with a half hug.

"It's Bayley! She won the NXT Women's championship back from Asuka earlier here tonight! What's she doing?" Bayley slid in the ring and held her title high, pointing back and forth between hers and Andy's. She spoke to him with a smile and he laughed in return before they hugged. Andy grabbed Bayley's wrist and raised it high, both holding their championships. Then, Turn it up bled away into Riot as the fans cheers became deafening.

"And here's the New United States Champion, Andy's best mate, Jordan Sterling!" Jordan climbed in the ring. As Andy presented his title to Jordan high with one arm, Jordan placed his title against it as he grabbed Andy's head and placed his forehead against Andy's.

"I knew you were going to do it! I told you!" Jordan called. He turned and lifted Andy high into the air on his shoulders. The two friends held their championships high as Riot became Crown of Thorns again.

"And that's all for NXT Takeover! Join us on NXT and make sure to tune into Raw tomorrow! Goodnight everyone!" Takeover faded with Andy sitting on Jordan's shoulders, both brandishing their titles as Bayley clapped in the corner with her title on her shoulder.

XXX

My longest chapter for this story! I put a lot of time into this chapter, and my thumbs hurt because I do this story on my phone right now. Anyway, we'll see where it goes from here! Goodnight everybody!


	11. Chapter 11

Blitzkrieg 11.0

"Welcome to NXT! We're coming off of a big Takeover!" Phillips voice echoed in his headset as the fans cheered wildly.

"Huge, Phillips!" Corey returned. "Not only did Bayley become the first woman to defeat Asuka here in NXT, she also became the first to be a multi time NXT Women's champion!"

"And let's not forget that we have a new NXT Champion! Andy Mercier defeated Finn Balor for the NXT Championship!"

"And what a match that was. If you missed that match, I highly suggest subscribing to the WWE Network to watch it! Andy left his normality behind and we had The Demon versus The Nightmare!"

"The match was back and forth and I honestly didn't think either man had anything to left! I didn't think we'd have a clear winner!" Corey nodded in response.

"It was definitely a battle of wills. But now we're moving forward with NXT, so let's get the show underway!" There was a pause after these words left his mouth before Crown of Thorns played. The crowd launched to their feet with a roar as Andy exited the gorilla position. He wore a black leather jacket that he held closed with his hands, black cargo pants and black combat boots with his laces hanging out. The jacket had Mercier Club on the back with the letters in Mercier stylized as bullets with six bullets under club. Attached to the neck of the jacket was a black cloth hood. Andy smirked as the crowd cheered.

He walked in a circle with the jacket held closed, an obvious limp in his step but with a certain swagger to it. Then, as he faced the crowd again, he jerked the jacket open to reveal the NXT title strapped around his waist, with a Bullet Club shirt under it, with the ls being censored with Astral signs. His smirk turned to a full blown smile as the cheers became a dull roar. He nodded his head as he pointed to the belt with his index fingers. Then, he lifted his arms into the ceiling with them forming guns. He dropped his hands and began limping down the ramp, touching a Too Sweet hand gesture to the crowds own as he walked by them. He skipped his pause at the end of the ramp and walked up the steel steps before climbing through the ropes. He traveled across the ring and took a mic from an officials before taking a spot in the middle of the ring as Crown of Thorns died and the fans cheered.

Andy nodded his head before raising the microphone to his lips. "It started in the UK." He spoke in his unique accent, prompting a cheer. "A little boy watching the Rockers. Watching Marty Jannetty get his head sent through a glass window by Shawn Michaels. Watching D Generation X take over. Watching Stone Cold Steve Austin deliver the Austin 3:16 speech at King of the Ring. Watching NWO run wild on WCW. Every week with his mom." The fans cheered and Andy nodded again. "It was so much larger than life and that boy, he didn't think he belonged. Not in wrestling. He was too small. So he took on MMA. And eventually he was given a chance to live his dream in New Japan." The crowd roared and began chanting 'Bullet Club' causing Andy to laugh.

"Yeah! You like the shirt? I went ahead and censored it for WWE." The crowd laughed as Andy smiled. "For years all I've wanted to do is wrestle. Even when I took a break to follow through with UFC, there wasn't a single moment, not a year, not a month, not a day, not a hour, not a single second! That went by that I didn't think about my fans and the rush I get coming down that ramp every single time!" Again, the crowd cheered. "This is my life. Wrestling. I'll be honest, I never thought I'd make it to the WWE. It always seemed so far out of reach. But I'm here now, and I'm your new NXT Champion!" Andy reached under the back of his jacket and unstrapped his belt before lifting it high in the air to the crowds approval. "And this is just the beginning! It only gets bigger and better from here on out! One day we'll be standing tall with the main championship on Raw or Smackdown! This is my life, and you're all my family! And I can't wait to share every single moment on the way up the ladder with each and every one of you!" Andy lowered the mic and kept the title high as the crowd cheered and laughed. Those cheers became boos, however, as Samoa Joe came through the curtains to his theme music.

Andy scowled at the man as he entered the ring and retrieved a microphone. "Sorry to break up story time." Joe spoke sarcastically. "I mean, really, I was sitting back there listening to you drone on and on, and I thought, this is so beautiful. This is definitely the man I want representing me as the NXT Champion. But, then I realized," Joe moved forward and crushed his face against Andy's as they pushed back and forth on each other's foreheads, "that you're not my first pick for that title. That's me. I should be the NXT Champion. I mean, I made you pass out in this ring last week. I gave you your first loss since you've been in NXT."

"After I was power bombed by Kevin Owens." Andy shot back. "But you're right, you beat me. If I'm not mistaken though, I beat you. In a one on one. And put you out of my title picture." Joe's nostrils flared angrily as Andy smirked. "That's right, mate. I put you down in the middle of this ring. And then, I went on to do what you couldn't. I beat Finn Balor for the NXT Championship."

"You got lucky." Samoa Joe interrupted. "You're entire NXT luck has been nothing but luck. The fact that you're in the WWE can't even be contributed to luck. That's the sad thing. You're only here because you had friends in the back politicking for you! Hey, check out this guy in New Japan! You know he's undefeated in UFC? Which was what, say it with me, luck."

"Who are you to put my accomplishments down?" Andy questioned heartedly, obviously angry. "Who are you to talk down on me when you've spent the better part of your career, over a decade, in 'that other company' because you didn't have what it took to make it in the WWE? Well, muppet?" Joe's eyes widened and his nostrils flared again.

"You listen to me- Shut the hell up!" Joe interrupted to himself to yell at the fans as they chanted "He's your nightmare!". "You listen to me. The fact that your the NXT Champion is nothing short of an embarrassment to every wrestler who ever lived. And if you had any respect for wrestling, you'd do the right thing and give me the opportunity to knock you off your pedestal."

"And if you had any sense, you'd get out of the ring before I knock your head off your shoulders!" The crowd cheered wildly as the statement caught Joe by surprise. "I have worked my ass off day in and day out to get here! All those matches I flopped in back in Japan. All the nights I broke my back, jumping over ropes at nothing while I tried to learn to do what I love! All the days I've come in feeling like my body was caving in so I could put on a show for the fans! All the times I've been rushed to a hospital and thought my career, my LIFE, was over!? Just so I could chase my dreams like I'm on some kind of mission!? And you have the gall, to stand there and tell me I don't respect wresrling!? That I don't deserve what I've got when I have scratched and clawed and climbed and bled and worked my way up the ladder in this business!?

"You're the one who doesn't deserve to be a champion. Muppets like you and Kevin Owens make me sick! When you feel threatened when someone comes along better at your trade than you are and all you can do is sneak attack and spit insults because, in the back of your minds, you know there's nothing you can do about it! And when they reach their goals all you can do is spit on them. Tell them they're not good enough. So when my mom was on her death bed in the United Kingdom, and she was telling me to stay to follow my dream, and I wasn't there for her when she passed away because I was breaking my neck for this business, I want good enough!? I've always been good enough! Because I have the heart and the RESPECT for this business that you don't!" Joe and Andy dropped their microphones as pushed harshly on one another's foreheads to the delight of the crowd. Then, William Regal made himself known on the top of the stage.

"That's enough! There will be no blows between you two tonight!" He exclaimed, prompting the two to begrudgingly break apart and look at him. "Firstly, Samoa Joe, you have no right to claim Andy is not a fit champion. He earned his title as Takeover when he defeated Finn Balor. But I can see that I can't contain what's brewing between you two. Tonight, you both have matches. Next week, on NXT, Samoa Joe you'll face... A surprise opponent. If you defeat them, you'll get a shot at Andy's NXT Championship the following week." Samoa Joe nodded his head in response and licked his lips before turning to Andy with a smirk.

"Enjoy it while it lasts!" Joe called.

"I will! I'll have it for a while!" Andy responded as Joe vacated the ring.

"Wow, a major announcement from Mr. Regal!" Phillips crowed as Andy placed his title on his shoulder and stared at Joe as the man walked backwards up the ramp, nodding with a smile.

Andy left the ring and went backstage, traveling to the locker room to get ready for his match. He watched as Samoa Joe defeated Sami Zayne before screaming at the camera, to Andy, as he made gestures for the title. As the show got close to the main event, he made his way to the gorilla position before an official even came for him. He bounced back and forth in place as his opponent, Tyson Kidd, made his entrance. He waited before Crown of Thorns played and he took a deep breath as the crowd cheered. Then, he burst through the curtain. He drank in the cheers from the crowd.

Andy wore plain white trunks, black boots with black kick pads and black knee pads. He wore his black leather jacket from earlier that night, and held it closed. He made a small circle on the top of the stage like he had at the beginning of the show before jerking it open to reveal his title strapped around his waist. He nodded with a small before coming to both knees, pointing his hands at the ceiling before slapping the ground and jumping to his feet with his signature "Strong Style Shooter!" Shout. He walked down the ramp, touching hands with fans in the Too Sweet hand gesture. He paused at the end of the ramp and lifted one gun hand to "Strong!" Before lifting his other to "Style!". Andy nodded with a smirk before jumping onto the apron. He grabbed the top rope with both ropes and stared at the crowd, letting them look at the title around his waist before he climber the turnbuckle. He performed his hanging draw before dropping in the ring. He held his jacket closed with his hands before turning to the crowd and opening his jacket. He nodded his head with a smirk before removing his jacket and belt, handing them to the referee so they could be placed at ringside. Andy and Tyson stared across the ring at each other before the referee called for the bell. They began circling one another in the ring. They locked up and Tyson went for a kick to the side. Andy caught the leg and Dragon whipped his opponent to the mat. Tyson was quick back to his feet, hitting Andy with a dropkick. Andy's back hit the mat and Tyson stomped his chest. Andy kicked his legs as he fought to catch his breath. Tyson hit him with an elbow drop before rolling to his feet. Andy made to get to his feet, but was hit by a front dropkick to the side of the head, sending him face first to the mat. Tyson picked Andy up, and the champion hit him in the jaw with a swift jab. Tyson stumbled to the side and Andy hit Tyson with multiple kicks to the ribs before sweeping his legs out from under him. Tysons back hit the ground and he rebounded into a sitting position where Andy hit him with a knee the face. Andy walked around, limping, for a moment. "It looks like Andy really aggravated something at Takeover." Tyson got to his feet and Andy made to kick at him.

Tyson caught the leg and slammed his elbow into his before hitting Andy with an Enzuigiri. A Roundhouse kick sent Andy to the mat. Tyson gave a war cry and dragged him to his feet before kicking Andy's bad leg multiple times, sending him down to one knee. "And Tysons picking up on that aggravation. He's targeting that leg now." A knee to the face had Andy on his back. Tyson set to work, stomping away at Andy's leg before flipping him onto his stomach and lifting his knee high into the air before slamming it into the canvas. Andy cried out in pain before he was pulled to his feet. A shoulder black to the back of the knee had Andy holding his leg in pain. The referee checked on Andy before he fought to his feet, favoring his left leg. A Russian leg weep had him right back on the mat. Tyson gave another loud yell before wrapping Andy's legs around his. "Tysons going for the Sharpshooter! He's got it locked in!" Andy screamed in pain as Tyson pulled hard. He held his hand in the in a fist before placing his forearms on the mat. He forced himself off the canvas. He pushed up with his arms and performed a roll, breaking free of the submission. Tyson shook his head as he grabbed Andy and pulled him to his feet. Andy broke the hold with a sharp kick to the skull before pulling Tyson onto his shoulders and hitting a Go 2 Sleep. "Ride the Mercier! Andy for the win! And he gets it, bad leg and all!" Crown of Thorns played as Andy hopped to feet and retrieved his title before leaning on the ropes as the fans cheered, staring into the Camera.

"Come on Joe! I got the title, mate! Show me what you can do, muppet!" He called angrily as he held the championship in the air with one hand.

"Andy with words for his competition. That's all for NXT! Join us next week to see if Samoa Joe will earn the right to be number one contender for the NXT Championship!" The show faded from air as Andy continued yelling for Joe as he pointed at the camera.

Later that week, Brianna Kelly entered the NXT training area and walked down its ramp. Andy sat in a steel chair in the middle of the ring with his hands clasped. He wore a red muscle shirt with Metallicas Kill em all printed on it, a pair of black basketball shorts and a pair of white sneakers. "You're early." And spoke as she started to climb the steel stairs. "Which means you're right on time. If you're on time... you're late."

"Good to know." Brianna answered as she entered the ring. "So what are we going to start with?"

"I watched your matches. You're pretty well rounded, so I get why you're mad that you're not being taken seriously. We're going to focus on some high risk moves. You're more suited for that and keeping the fans happy. Plus, I don't see Strong Style or Mixed Martial Arts playing a lot into your matches. I'll teach you some just so you can have the basics down though."

"And what about the mic?" Brianna questioned as Andy produced some white tape and began tapping his hands.

"What about it?"

"Wrestling is what I love. And now days you have to be really good on the mic to please the fans. Like you. If you're a face, they love you. If you're heel, they hate you." Andy paused before shaking his head and rolling more tape out.

"That's simple. You speak from the heart. As a face, I talk to every single fan like they're my family. I put my body on the line. Everything is for them. As a heel, the fans aren't worth the dirt on my boots. I'm the best. I'm the king. And I refuse to do anything for them. I stay grounded. Everything... is for me." Andy finished rolling his hands. "Now, who are you fighting this week?"

Andy popped his shoulder as he sat in the men's locker room at Smackdown. He wore his my skull is bulletproof shirt, his blue jeans and a pair of white converse painted with a rising sun on one and crashing waves on the other. Jordan sat next to him in his workout attire as they stared at the television where Kevin Owens had just walked to the ring and grabbed a microphone. "Vince needs to do something about this infestation. WWES going to get closed down for health hazards." Andy spoke with Jordan nodding in agreement.

"Jordan Sterling, I know you're back there." Kevin spoke into the mic. "Probably being all cuddly with your buddy. 'You're so good at punching'. 'No you are'. You can tell that to yourselves as much as you want, but you're not as good as me. And I proved that when Samoa Joe and I laid you both out. Jordan, I want you to pay close attention. I have a big problem with you. You think you're a big deal. You think you're right great fighter. But you're not. You being the United States Champion is a joke. I don't understand how Rusev could lose the belt to you. And you see, I'm not the only one with a problem with you. Samoa Joe does as well. That's why we've formed KO-Joe, a partnership vent on removing the poison of fake fighters from the WWE. The poison of Jordan Sterling and Andy Mercier.

"Next week, Joe is going to pick off whoever William Regal puts in front of him and then hes going to go on to take the NXT Championship from your buddy. My question to you is this. Hey! All of you shut up!" Kevin broke off to rant at the crowd as they booed him. "I'm not here to entertain you! Show some respect for a prize fighter and shut your mouths before I come out in that crowd and do it for every single one of you!" Owens stood breathing heavily in an danger before turning back to the camera "Jordan, do you have the balls to put the United States Championship up against me? Do you have the balls to face me with it on the line at the next Pay per view? I know you don't, but do you really want the fans to know how gutless you are this early in your run? I expect an answer." Kevin dropped the mic and vacated the ring as Andy shook his head.

"You going to accept?" He asked Jordan, who rubbed his chin.

"I'm a fighting champion. And I really want to shut him up." Andy nodded in understanding as he blew a bubble with gum he had been chewing before popping it.

"So when are you wrestling next?" Andy asked.

"Next week." Andy nodded as he stood to his feet.

"Well, don't kill Owens before you have him in the ring. It's about that time." Jordan nodded in response as Andy stood to his feet and exited the locker room before making his way to the gorilla position. It was there that he met with Brianna as Paige finished her entrance. Andy nodded to her as here theme, Meteor by Simon Curtis, played. She busted through the curtains wearing a black bolero jacket, a white and pink zebra striped sequin tank top, blue jean capris and neon boots. Andy followed closely behind. "And from Honolulu Hawaii, accompanied by Andy Mercier, Brianna Kelly!"

"And here's the number one contender for the WWE Women's Championship, and with Andy Mercier in tow. I wonder why he's here." Jerry Lawler spoke.

"It's my understanding that Brianna has been training under Andy this while week." Cole reported as Brianna made her entrance, which could be described as a mix between Sasha Banks, Summer Rae and Paige's with neon colored pyro and confetti shooting out as she walked down the ramp. She entered the ring as Andy made his way to commentary and removed pieces of her entrance attire, leaving her in Sasha Banks/ Summer Rae inspired gear in different neon colors that matched her boots. This revealed that she had a Soaring Eagle across her upper back from shoulder to shoulder, two cherry Blossom trees on each side of her ribs and two full sleeve tattoos dedicated to her Hawaiian heritage. Brianna and Paige stared each other down before the bell was rang.

"And here we go! Brianna Kelly facing off against Paige, who has made it publicly known that she doesn't believe Brianna is a legitimate competitor against her." Cole spoke as the two women locked up.

"That's a big mistake." Andy responded as he watched Brianna hip flip Paige before kicking her in the back. "I've had the privilege to see what Brianna can do this week and shes an amazing wrestler. So gifted in the ring. And the fact that she's not considered top tier is insane." Brianna pulled Paige to her feet and bounced her off the ropes before hitting her with a spinning kick that sent her to the mat. Brianna delivered a sharp kick to Paige's gut before Kneeing her in the face. Brianna pulled Paige to her feet and kneed her in the abdomen before slamming her face first into the mat.

"Is that why she's been training with you?"

"In all honesty, she doesn't need the training. But she wants to be seen as the top tier performer she is, and be recognized as a legitimate female WRESTLER." Andy replied as Brianna went to pick her opponent up. Paige delivered a stiff kick to her gut before jumping to her feet and slamming her forearm into Brianna's face. She stumbled to the side before Paige caught her in a fallaway slam. Paige delivered a sharp kick to her opponent's side before pulling her to her feet by her hair as the referee chastised her. Paige Irish whipped her into the corner before launching herself through the air and hitting Brianna with a double knee. Paige dropped back to her feet, and as Brianna stumbled out of the corner she was hit by a side kick that sent her to the ground. Paige pulled her to her feet and went for a back breaker, but Brianna grabbed the top rope and let Paige fall to the ground. The Black haired woman got to her feet and rushed at her opponent, but Brianna launched herself in the air and hit her with a jumping hip attack. Paige got to her feet and made to slap Brianna, but the women dodged under it, letting the referee take the hit. The man's head whipped to the side as Brianna grabbed Paige by her hair and yanked before hitting her with a spinning heel kick. Paige hit the ground, and as the referee recovered, Brianna gave the crowd an 'I didn't do anything wrong" look.

"Smart strategy by Brianna." Cole spoke as Andy nodded.

"She's the future of the women's division." Brianna went to pick Paige up, but was hit in the jaw. Paige jumped to her feet and bounded off the ropes before hitting Brianna with a running single leg dropkick. Paige stood to her feet with a violent scream before picking Brianna and planting her with a Cradle DDT.

"Ram-Paige, and that could be it guys!" King called as Andy shook his head with a knowing smile.

"Don't count Brianna out." Andy spoke just as she broke the pin. Paige looked around in disbelief before pulling her opponent to her feet in frustration. She went for another Cradle DDT, but Brianna broke the hold and whipped around, pulling Paige's arms across her chest before hitting a straight jacket back breaker and transitioning it into a crossface.

"And there's Brianna's Sweet Sacrifice! A lot like your Show no Mercier, and she even had shades of you doing it with that straight jacket!"

"That's right. Bad enough when it's just out of a regular backbreaker but when your own arms are being used against you it's even worse." Andy responded as Paige violently nodded her head and screamed. The referee called from the bell as Meteor played. Brianna released the hold as Andy stood to his feet and placed his headset on the announce table. "If you'll excuse me." Andy slid into the ring as Brianna celebrated with the crowd and lifted her arm high in the air to a roar of approval. Brianna nodded her head with a smile. "Your next Women's champion!" Andy called to the camera as Brianna aimed her hand like a gun at the camera. Andy joined her and Smackdown went to commercial with them standing back to back shooting at the camera.

XXX

Wrap!


	12. Chapter 12

Blitzkrieg 12.0

Andy sighed as he reclined in a steel chair. He stared at the television in front of him as Samoa Joe marched down the ramp and into the ring before waiting for his opponent. Andy himself still didn't know who it was, and his eyes widened as Riot played throughout the arena before Jordan bust through the curtains onto the top of the stage. He held his United States championship high with a focused look on his face before coming to one knee. He gave his "One man enters and one man leaves!" Shout before walking down the ramp. He paused at the end of the ramp and bent to look at the camera. "I got you mate." He called with a sly wink, causing Andy to laugh backstage before Jordan jumped on the apron and ran the ropes. He tossed his shirt to the crowd and entered the ring before giving his title to an official. He stared across the ring at Joe before the bell sounded. Joe and Jordan walked directly toward one another before locking up. Joe kneed Jordan in the side and Jordan returned the favor. Joe head butted Jordan and gained the upper hand, hitting a fallaway slam on his opponent. Joe kicked Jordan in the ribs multiple times before dragging him to his feet and unloading with a flurry of punches to the head. Jordan stumbled back before kicking his opponent in the abdomen. Joe stumbled back and Jordan hit him with a swift elbow to the jaw before hip flipping him onto the mat. Jordan slid on top of him, Kneeing him in the skull multiple times before releasing his hold. As Joe went to get to his feet, Jordan struck out with a back kick to the face. Joe staggered to his feet before Jordan blew past him, grabbing his arm and Irish whipping him into the corner. Jordan followed closely behind and slammed his body into Joe's, forcing him to stumble forward where Jordan delivered a harsh uppercut. Joe's head snapped back, and a kick to his head sent him to the ground. Jordan reached down and dragged Joe to his feet, but Joe slid behind his opponent and caught him in a German suplex. Joe shook his head as he picked Jordan back up and hit him with another German suplex. Jordan stared up at the ceiling in a daze and Joe smirked smugly. He placed his foot on Jordan's face and pushed it to the side, two times. "Come on!" Joe screamed. "Show me why you're a champion!" Jordan came to his knees and Joe slapped him in the face. Jordan's head whipped to the side and he stayed in place.

"Oh, that may have not been the best strategy by Joe." Phillips stated seconds before Jordan launched to his feet and began unloading strikes on Samoa Joe's abdomen before Leaping into the air with a knee strike to the head. Joe crumbled to the mat and Jordan jerked him to his feet before delivering a vicious uppercut. Joe hit the ropes and bounced forward where Jordan unleashed another. This happened one more time before Joe hit the mat. Jordan's nostrils flared angrily as he mounted Joe's chest and began punching at his opponents skull. Jordan jumped to his feet and walked around the ring before glaring into the camera as he leaned against the ropes.

"I hope you're watching, Owens!" He called. "Because this is you at Extreme Rules!" Turning around, he landed a spear that sent Jordan and Joe across the ring.

"M16!" Jordan stood to his feet and gave a vicious yell. He pulled Joe to his feet and hit him with a power bomb. "And now tea time! That might be it Phillips. Jordan may have just put an end to Joe's dream of being the NXT Champion." Jordan stared at his downed opponent before giving a roar that was echoed by the crowd before he traveled to the corner and began Stalking his opponent. He stopped, however, as Kevin Owens jumped the barricade and hit the apron, staring at his enemy. Jordan broke away from looking at Joe as he came to stand in front of Owens.

"This is whose a great fighter!?" Jordan questioned. He stepped back as Kevin climbed into the ring, and glanced over his shoulder. He rolled his neck as he found himself standing between Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens. The crowd screamed as Andy came barreling down the ramp and slid into the ring. He slid into the ring and made to attack Owens, but the wrestler dodged down and pulled the top rope, sending him sailing to the floor. As Kevin stood to his full height, a solid punch from Jordan sent him to ringside with Andy. As Jordan turned around, he was hit with a super kick from Samoa Joe that laid him out. Joe went for the cover and got the three count.

"Oh my god! Joe picks up the victory off of the distraction!" Phillips cried out as Joe quickly vacated the ring and grabbed Owens before walking up the ramp. "He'll be facing Andy next week for the NXT Championship!" Andy had rolled into the ring, and sat on his knees with one hand on Jordan as he glared up at Joe who smirked and tapped the side of his head, as if to say he was smart.

Andy and Jordan made their way backstage as a commercial came through. "I'm sorry I didn't knock him off, mate." Jordan apologized as they walked.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of Joe next week. I'm sorry I couldn't keep Owens from being a distraction." Jordan shrugged in response.

"It happens. But I'm going to take care of him. I'm tired of Joe and Owens trying to push their weight around." Andy shook his head in solemn agreement.

"Yeah. That's a lot of weight those Muppets are throwing around too." Jordan laughed in response before Bayley appeared in front of them. Jordan patted Andy on the shoulder and gave him a sly wink, prompting Andy to scowl at him.

"I'll catch up to you later." He stated before breaking away on his own. Bayley watched him walk away before turning to Andy with a confused look.

"Is Jordan okay?" Andy shrugged in response.

"Who knows. That wankers a little off." Andy joked causing Bayley to click her tongue with a smile.

"Huh. Anyway, I never got to tell you how awesome your match with Finn Was! It was amazing!" Andy rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.

"Oh... oh yeah? Your match with Asuka was really good. I was glued to the monitor." Bayley smiled brightly before shifting awkwardly in place.

"I'm glad you think so... Are you doing anything later tonight." Andy's fidgeting reached a high point and he began rubbing his arm.

"After... after the show? I... don't think so. Why?" Bayley grinned in response.

"We're going to a bowling alley after the show. I thought you might like to come." Andy hesitated before nodding his head.

"I'd love to Bayley." Bayley nodded happily in response.

"Awesome!" She exclaimed.

"I'll see you later tonight then. I have to get ready."

"Of course." Andy and Bayley said bye before parting ways. Andy traveled to the men's locker room and began getting ready for his match. Jordan entered the locker room with a grin on his face as Andy finished.

"Oi, what're you smiling about wanker?" Andy questioned causing Jordan to look at him.

"I ran into Becky. She asked if we wanted to go to the bowling alley tonight. Hope you don't mind, but I said yes." Andy stared at his friend before chuckling and checking over his gear.

"I don't mind. In fact, Bayley asked me earlier."

"Did she?" Andy nodded in response before an official stuck his head in the door.

"Excuse me, Andy, you're on." He stated, and Andy got to his feet. Jordan patted him on the shoulder before he exited the room and made his way to the gorilla position. He bounced in place as he was wont to do as Sami Zayne made his way to the ring. He waited until Crown of Thorns played and he exited to the crowds cheers. He wore the same attire as the previous week, except he also wore a black bandanna with six bullets over the mouth. He made his small circle before jerking his jacket open and making his way down the ramp. He interacted with the fans with the Too Sweet gesture before coming to a squat at the end of the ramp. He reached up and pulled the bandanna down before bounding to the apron with a cry of "Strong Style Shooter!". He looked around at the fans before climbing the ropes and doing his hanging draw before jumping into the ring. He held his jacket closed before jerking it open to show his title to the fans with a nod. He took his title, jacket and bandanna off, giving them to the referee before backing into his corner. Sami bounced from foot to foot before the bell rang and the two competitors circled each other. Sami Zayne went for a kick to the side, but Andy dodged. Andy rolled forward under a punch and leaped to his feet, grabbing Sami's Arm and wrenching it behind his back. Sami stumbled forward before reversing the hold. Andy grit his teeth and spun, dragging Sami into a headlock before Sami pushed away and the two began circling.

"Sami Zayne versus Andy Mercier here tonight." Corey spoke into his headset.

"These two have fought two times since Andy debut here on NXT, and Andy has won both matches. You have to know that Sami is really pushing for a victory here tonight."

"Oh, no doubt. Especially since Andy has become the new NXT Champion since their last match." Corey responded to Phillips as Sami grabbed Andy's arm and pulled him into a short arm clothesline. Andy's back hit the mat, and Sami stomped on his chest. Andy sat up, out of breath before multiple kicks to his chest resounded loudly. He rolled across the ring, holding his ribs as Sami reached down and pulled him to his feet. Sami delivered a swift kick to Andy's abdomen, causing him to double over before Sami bounded off the ropes and hit a dropkick to Andy. Andy bounced across the ring. Sami made his way over and reached down to grab Andy, but the champion caught Sami's neck with his ankles and sent him face first into the turnbuckle. Sami stumbled backwards, slumped over. Andy leaped over his body, onto the second rope, before hitting a missile dropkick that sent Sami across the mat. Andy bounded to his feet and hit Sami with a flying Yakuza kick as he got back to his feet. Sami his feet before Andy hit the ropes with a springboard back elbow drop. Sami hit the canvas holding his jaw as Andy found his way back up. Andy went to pick Sami up, but Sami elbowed him in the gut. Andy released his hold, and a foot to the face sent him to his back. Sami bounded to the top turnbuckle and as Andy got back up he was hit by a flying cross body. Sami rolled to his feet before climbing the turnbuckle. He leaped from the top as Andy stood again, but a side kick to the face laid him on the mat. Andy fell on top of him.

"And Andy picks up another victory over Sami Zayne because of that impact." Phillips called as Crown of Thorns echoed throughout the arena.

"No doubt. Bad enough when you get kicked in the face. But when you're airborne and get kicked in the face, it's a whole different ball game." Corey responded as Andy made his way across the ring and retrieved a microphone. Crown of Thorns died as he lifted it to his lips.

"Samoa Joe. I hope you're listening." He stated seriously. "You and Owens got the better of me tonight. You cheated your way to a title shot. Congratulations. I want you to know this. You're not going to win next week. I'm keeping this championship. Every time you knock me down, I'll get back up. Every strike you give me, I'll give back. Every pin you make, I'll kick out. Every submission, I'll break out. I don't care what it takes. Next week, I'm putting you down. I hope you're prepared." Andy dropped the microphone and NXT faded on him staring into the camera. Andy exited the ring and tapped his hands to the fans as he walked up the ramp to the backstage area. He went through his post show routine and got changed into a black shirt, blue jeans and his robot converse with the rising sun painted on the right and crashing waves on the left. He picked up his duffel bag and exited the locker room before he met up with Jordan, who was waiting by his rental car with Bayley and Becky. "Are they riding with us again?" Andy questioned. Bayley nodded as Jordan spoke.

"They asked and I said yes." Andy nodded his head and unlocked the car for everyone to get in. "Nice match with Sami by the way." Jordan spoke up as Andy started the car and drove.

"Thanks. He might have had me if he hadn't went up the ropes for the second time."

"So, Andy, do you have any hobbies outside of wrestling?" Bayley questioned.

"I have a lot." He replied simply. "I read comics, watch anime, play guitar and piano, write and draw."

"That's awesome." She gushed. "Have you ever thought about making your own comic book." Andy shrugged as he made a left turn.

"Not Really. But if I ever found myself not able to wrestle I might try to make one. About wrestling." Again, Bayley nodded, this time in understanding. Wrestling was his life and he couldn't see himself without it.

"What about you, Jordan?" Becky questioned as she leaned over the shoulder of Jordan's seat, sitting back glumly when Andy told her to put her seat belt on.

"I like sports." He stated simply with a shrug.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I was a Manchester City U-17 player and a NCAA Division I All-American."

"Oh wow! Really?" Becky questioned excitedly with a smile. Jordan looked in his passenger mirror and caught a her face before rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah. It's really not that big of a deal."

"Are you kidding?" Becky asked in disbelief. "That's amazing!"

"I wouldn't go that far."

"We're here Mr. Not Amazing." Andy announced as he parked the car, causing Jordan to glare at him. Andy returned with a cheeky smile as they exited the vehicle. They entered the bowling alley and, like the week before, met up with a larger group of wrestlers before they broke into smaller groups. Andy, Bayley, Jordan and Becky were their own group and opted to play laser tag to begin with.

"How does he do that!?" Jordan questioned as he watched Andy eliminate another player from a different group. They had already played six games and Andy had won them all.

"It's like gravity doesn't work on him here." Bayley whispered.

"Even less than in the ring!" Becky added on. "Look! It's like he's breaking the laws of physics!" She spoke in awe as Andy disappeared behind a prop and reappeared on the other side of the war zone, eliminating someone else.

"I think that wanker might be losing it in here." Jordan spoke with a hint of urgency. "We need to get out of here before-"

"Hey guys!" The trio leaped to their feet and dashed in different directions as Andy laughed maniacally. "I am King of laser tag! I am the True Shooter. And I will eliminate you all!" After four more matches of everyone attempting, and failing, to beat Andy they moved onto the game room.

Jordan and Andy pitted themselves against Bayley and Becky on a tournament on Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. "This is so unfair! Scorpion is like the face of the franchise! How are you beating me with Stryker, Bayley!?" Andy called as he rapidly mashed buttons.

"Shut up! I can't concentrate! Becky's beating me with Dan Hibiki! And I'm Guile!" Jordan called from across the room. It was safe to say that the real life fighters were thoroughly thrashed in virtual reality. They moved away from the machines with Andy and Jordan muttering about unfair mechanics.

"Button mashers."

"Spamming wankers." Bayley and Becky laughed at the twos words. Andy and Jordan would go on to play a few games of pool before moving to a dart board as Becky and Bayley took over the pool table.

"Aw, man." Andy glanced over his shoulder as he threw his dart, still hitting very close to bullseye as Jordan sent him a dark glare, to where Bayley was shooting pool. She had made the ball bounce up and down on the table. "I can never get the hang of this." Andy turned to face her and Jordan snuck to the dart board, sticking his dart in the bullseye before sneaking back.

"Bullseye, I win!" Andy glanced over his shoulder to his cheekily smiling friend with a suspicious gaze before walking back to the pool table.

"Here, Bayley. Let me help." Andy spoke as he stood behind her. Bayley shifted as he put his hand on top of hers, moving one farther down the handle of her pool stick and pool placing the other on the pool table. "Then, you aim for about the center of the ball, ok? See the green on by the corner? Hit the cue ball lightly towards it." Bayley nodded and did as instructed, watching as the green ball fell in the hole and the cue ball rolled back on the table before she smiled brightly.

"Thank you!" Bayley exclaimed as she hugged Andy. He stood still in surprise for a second before hugging her back. Becky watched the display before looking to Jordan, who was measuring the length and weight of one of Andy's darts against his own, as if it was rigged.

"Jordan, do you think you could show me how to shoot?" She called and Jordan glanced up to her.

"You're doing really good." Jordan returned with a shrug before looking at Andy. The laser tag champion stared at him over Bayley's head with a 'You're stupid' stare. Jordan's eyes widened. "Oh! Yeah! Yeah!" He called as he made his way over to help Becky. "I see a few pointers I can give you!" After Bayley and Becky finished their game, with Andy and Jordan gambling off to the side on the game, they finally made their way to the main alley and bought a game. Andy was the first to start.

He shifted awkwardly in his rented shoes as he held his bowling ball in hand. As he stood at the end of his lane, he swallowed a lump in his throat and glanced over his shoulder. "I'm going to be completely honest. I've never bowled in my life. I'm about to look like a muppet."

"It's ok, you'll do fine." Bayley encouraged with a nod.

"Yeah, mate, you'll do fine." Jordan added in a slick tone as he smiled deviously. He was looking forward to this. Andy sent a dark state at his friend before turning and sending his ball down the lane to where it knocked all the pins down in a strike. There was a pause of silence before Jordan leaped to his feet and Becky held him back by his wrist. "You lying wanker! This is just like laser tag and darts! This isn't your first time is it!? Is it!?" Andy smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's just beginners luck." Jordan, Bayley and Becky went through their turns before it was Andy's again. Jordan mumbled under his breath as his friend stepped up to the lane. Andy lined his shot up and went for ot. Then, he promptly slid down the lane with his ball, almost falling multiple times as he fought to keep his balance before landing on his back. There was another pause. Jordan roared with laughter as he leaned heavily on his chair.

"I'm going to die!" He exclaimed, completely out of breath. Andy refused to bowl anymore that night, despite all the coaxing from Bayley. They left after Jordan played a game of pin ball, setting the new high score. Bayley and Becky were dropped off where they needed to be before Jordan and Andy found their own hotels and turned in for the night.

Andy walked down the ramp of the NXT training ramp. Brianna was in the ring, bouncing back and forth from the ropes as she practiced the moves he had taught her the week before. Andy dropped his duffel bag off at the end of the ramp, drawing her attention to him. "What're you doing here, WhatCulture? It's really early. Too early to even be on time."

"If I'm not in the ring, I need to train. I'm fighting for the Women's championship at Extreme Rules. I'm going in just another pretty face in everyone's eyes. But I'm coming out the champion, and I'm going to own it." Andy stood in place for a second, chewing the inside of his cheek before he took tape from his bag and began rolling his hands.

"How are you going to be different though?" Andy questioned as he leaned in the corner.

"What do you mean?"

"You want to be recognized as a female wrestler, right? You have to become something more than yourself. You have to become an extension of the crowd. No matter if it's love for you as a face or hate as a heel. You have to embody what they feel for you. You have to make them invest in you. For example. My name is Mach Degray and I just debut in NJPW." Brianna laughed as he referenced the youtube video she had watched.

"I've been there for four months. I hit people and I jump around the ring. But nobody cares. Because I have no soul. My character has not given the fans a reason for me to be their protagonist or their antagonist. But, my name is now Andy "True Shooter" Mercier and I just redebut in NJPW. The fans love me because I fend off the Bullet Club. And then, they hate me because I join that club and plant one of their heroes face in the dirt to become Andy "Strong Style" Mercier. I just went from being their protagonist to their antagonist on the drop of a dime, and they love it, because my character is an extension of them and it has soul. So tell me, Brianna Kelly, what is your characters soul? Why should the fans invest in you as an extension of themselves? Learning from me won't make you top tier. Learning from the fans will."

Andy sat in the men's locker room with Jordan, who was taping his hands up. "So I heard Owens isn't here tonight." Andy stated as he leaned back in his chair.

"Hey, have you heard I don't care?" Jordan responded with a mumble.

"Geez, calm down mate. What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"Owens. I don't know why. He's really getting to me. I can't wait knock that smug face of his off." Andy nodded in understanding as he patted his friends shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. You'll end this at Extreme Rules." Jordan shook his head as he planted his fist into his hand.

"No. Kevin Owens and I will always be enemies. He calls himself a prize fighter, and me? Well I like a good fight." Andy chuckled in response as the front legs of his chair came off the ground.

"Unless it's laser tag, right?" He joked.

"That was rigged." Jordan shot back before the door closed behind him. Andy turned back to the television monitor as Smackdown came back from a commercial. A vignette came on screen. It showed Sasha Banks as she climbed the ladder in NXT, with the screen distorting and their faces becoming blank. It showed Sasha winning the WWE Women's Championship, the screen turning to a mask before back to Sasha standing over a blank faced Charlotte. There was static, and the screen went dark before showing the Extreme Logo with the word Mujina underneath it as a females voice whispered "I'm coming". The screen switched really quick to a mask again, looking very much like a mirror as it reflected everything around it with not eyes are mouth. Then, it bled away and Smackdown returned as Andy dropped his chair to all fours with a raised eyebrow.

"Interesting." Andy spoke before Riot played to the crowds cheers. The lights dimmed down in the arena, and when they rose again, Jordan stood at the top of the ramp holding his title high with a focused look on his face. He came to one knee and gave his "One man enters and one man leaves!" War cry then walked down the ramp. He stopped at the end and bent to look at the camera before Leaping onto the apron and running the ropes. He threw his shirt to the crowd and climbed into the ring, handing his belt to a referee before going to his corner to stare at his opponent, Sheamus. The bell rang and the two broke out of their corners. Jordan made to lock up before Sheamus dodged to the side and shoved him. Jordan stared at the man as he laughed before he unleashed a flurry of punches to the chest. Sheamus stumbled backward before ducking under a punch and hitting his opponent with a clothesline. Sheamus picked Jordan up and slammed him onto his back, standing over him with an angry look. He reached down and pulled Jordan to his feet before Jordan delivered a hard kick to the side. Sheamus' body lurched to the side and Jordan landed a devastating shot to his jaw that sent the red headed man stumbling into the ropes. Jordan followed after him with shots to the ribs before breaking away at a count of four. He made a small circle and walked back to his opponent, but the Celtic Warrior thumbed him in the eye. Sheamus weaved Jordan through the the middle and top rope before delivering harsh blows to his chest.

"Vintage Sheamus here!" Michael Cole called from commentary. Sheamus relinquished his hold on Jordan as the referee reached a four count. Jordan stumbled out of the ropes and was hit with a side slam back breaker. "Oh! And now an Irish Curse Backbreaker!" Sheamus exited the ring onto the apron, and when Jordan found his way to his feet, Sheamus launched himself over the ropes with a battering ram. Jordan hit the mat and stared skyward. He was pulled to his feet before he broke the hold on his and hip tossed Sheamus to the mat. As Sheamus tried to come back to his feet, Jordan bounded off the ropes and hit his opponent with a spinning elbow that dropped him back down. Jordan looked at his wrist tape like a watch, as if waiting for the end of the match. Jordan picked Sheamus up, only for Sheamus to reverse him into front power slam. Sheamus again exited to the apron and went for a battering ram. This time, Jordan caught him with a severe upper cut. "That could have just knocked Sheamus out there King!"

"Definitely! Did you see his head whip back? Oh man. It might be lights out for the Celtic Warrior." Jordan picked Sheamus up and Irish whipped him into the corner, before slamming his body full force into him. As Sheamus stumbled out, Jordan Irish whipped him into the opposite corner and went for the impact again. Sheamus dodged and as Jordan slammed into the turnbuckles, Sheamus grabbed his arms before lifting him high and hitting a running Crucifix Powerbomb. Sheamus stated down at Jordan and called out that he was coming after his title."What a High Cross!" King called as Sheamus retreated to the corner. He pounded his chest and gave a war cry. "Sheamus is setting it up! Brogue kick!" Jordan dodged under Sheamus' foot and as the red headed wrestler turned around, he was hit by a spear.

"No! The M16! And Jordan picks up the victory!" Michael Cole exclaimed as Riot played loudly. The crowd cheered as Jordan stood over Sheamus, glaring angrily at him. As the referee handed him his title, Jordan dropped it to the mat. He picked up Sheamus as his music died and the referee chastised him. Sheamus bounded off the ropes before Jordan hit him with a pop up Powerbomb, landing Sheamus head directly on the championship. Jordan retrieved the title before lifting it high as the fans cheered. "A direct statement to Kevin Owens."

Jordan stared directly at the camera as he pointed at Sheamus. "You and me Owens!" He called. "Extreme Rules! In a steel cage! No escape, no pins, no submissions! We fight until I knock you out!"

"Did you hear that King?"

"Owens has really gotten to Jordan. Jordan wants to prove that Owens words about him are just that. Words. But will Owens accept." Jordan exited the ring as Smackdown went to commercial break. He made his way up the ramp and passed Andy on his way to the gorilla position. "Your protégé up next?" Jordan asked as he took a drink of water from a water bottle.

"Yeah. She's moving in leaps and bounds. Considering where she started at, I didn't think it was possible for her to get any better at wrestling than she already was. But she is. She loves this. So a MMA type match with Owens at Extreme Rules huh? You're dodgy mate."

"Am I?" Jordan questioned with a smirk. "Or am I just the best striker this side of the WWE?" Andy laughed in response and tapped his hands against Jordan's like two fighter.

"I respect it, mate. If Owens wants that title shot, make him put his money where his mouth is. I love it."

"I figured you would. I'll catch you later, yeah?" Andy nodded to Jordan's question as he began walking away.

"Aye." He reached the gorilla position where Brianna was anticipating the end of her opponent, Nikki Bella's, entrance. Meteor played and Brianna made her way to the ring as Andy joined the announce team.

"Welcome back to Smackdown, Andy." King spoke as Andy put on a headset and Brianna got rid of her unneeded entrance gear.

"Glad to be back." Andy responded as he leaned in his chair and touched a Too Sweet gesture to a little boy wearing a my skull is bulletproof shirt. "Bulletproof for life little man." He stated before turning back around around the bell rang.

"You love interacting with the fans, don't you?" Cole questioned as Brianna and Nikki locked up with Brianna breaking away and kicking her opponent in the back of the leg.

"Absolutely love it. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them." Brianna sent another kick that Nikki caught before smashing her elbow into it. Brianna stumbled backward before she was hit with a running forearm. Brianna was quick to get back to her feet, but was hit by the same move. This happened a few more time before Brianna dodged out of the way and caught Nikki's legs between her own, tripping her. Nikki hit the mat, and Brianna used the hold on the legs to apply a submission.

"And Andy, the WWE Universe witnessed you use this very same tactic at NXT Takeover against Finn Balor." Cole observed as Nikki stretched for the rope.

"Brianna is the first one to hit the training area everyday and shes the last to leave. She sits and studies matches on a television and then she does them over and over again. I wouldn't be surprised if she lashed out with a Frankensteiner Driver like I did at Takeover." Nikki finally reached the ropes and Brianna was forced to break the hold. Brianna rolled to her feet and made to pick her opponent up. Nikki slapped her in the face before using a one handed thesz press. This was followed by multiple slams to the mat. Nikki gave a war cry and pulled Brianna to her feet nailing a spinebuster. As Brianna came up off the ground, Nikki performed a snap mare knee attack. Brianna was pulled to her feet, and kicked in her gut, forcing her to double over. Nikki grabbed her hair and went for a Bella Buster. Brianna broke free and hit her opponent with a spinning heel kick. Nikki laid on the ground, and as the referee turned to walk to the corner, Brianna pulled her to her feet by her hair before landing a solid knee to the gut. Brianna gave the crowd her signature 'I didn't do anything wrong look' Before she hit the ropes and performed a backwards springboard elbow drop. Brianna and Nikki hit the mat before Brianna rolled to her feet. Brianna made to pick Nikki up, but had the woman's nails rake over her face. Brianna stumbled back before she was kicked in the gut. Again Nikki went for the Bella Buster, and again Brianna reversed out. This time, she kicked Nikki in the gut before landing a lifting single underhook DDT.

"There the Kelly Maneuver!" King called in excitement.

"And that's the match!" Andy called as Meteor played to the fans approval. Brianna stood to her feet, pointing her hand like a gun around at the ground. Then, her music died. On the titantron, the image of the mirror mask appeared, showing Brianna standing in the ring over Nikki, as a females voice said "I'm coming". The screen flashed to the Extreme Rules logo and then went black. The show went to commercial as Meteor began playing again as Andy entered the ring.

XXX

Long chapter for me! Whew. Hey guys, I don't want to give too much away about the Mujina vignette. I haven't gotten any new ocs and I haven't made anymore.


	13. Chapter 13

Blitzkrieg 13.0

Andy walked into NXT wearing an Austin 3:16 shirt, blue jeans and converse with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He rolled his neck as he chewed on a piece of gum. Rounding a corner, he found himself face to face with Renee Young. "Andy!" She called as he made to sneak around her. Andy stood with his back to the interviewer, chewing his gum, before forcing a smile and turning around.

"Renee! It's been so long. What? I'm not avoiding you! That's ridiculous!" Renee stared at him with a loss for words before he chuckled. "What can I do for you?" Renee shook her head before focusing.

"Tonight you face Samoa Joe in a title defense for the NXT Championship. Can you tell me what's going through your mind? Maybe a strategy for tonight?" Andy stared blankly at the woman for a moment before he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, what? I was thinking about what I was going to eat after the show tonight." Again, Renee was speechless as to his attitude. "You want to know what's on my mind?" Andy questioned after the silence reigned too long between them. "I'll tell you. Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens have been attacking, not only me, but Jordan Sterling mentally and physically for weeks. Tonight, I'm going to put a stop to Joe. As for strategy? That's easy. I'm going to go out there, he's going to punch me, I'm going to punch him and I'm going to win." Andy nodded his head and stood as if he was thinking. "I just came up with that. Sounds good doesn't it?" Andy chuckled as he looked at the camera and winked before making his way to the NXT men's locker room. He got himself ready for the main event and went through his prematch routine before an official came for him. He quickly found his place at the gorilla position as Samoa Joe finished his entrance and bounced back and forth in the ring. The lights in the arena went pitch black and the crowd screamed. "There exists monsters in this world, the likes you've never seen. Demons you've never fought." A deep voice reverberated as the crowd went wild. "There's no turning back, Samoa Joe! Offer your soul! And I will show you... the greatest Nightmare." The piano and violin version of Crown of Thorns played as Andy appeared on the top of the stage. He dropped to both knees as the lights flashed red before raising. He slid his thumb across his throat before standing to his feet with his arms outstretched. He wore silver trunks with the red flames on the right side and his eye on the left. He wore silver boots with silver kick pads, both looking like rusted armor. He had silver knee pads with teeth on one and an eye on the other.

His skull was painted like a demonic knight. The paint stretched down his chest and had red Markings through it and an eye in the middle of the chest. His abdomen was painted like the mouth from his knee pad, making it seem like his body was split in half. His right arm was painted red and black with a black armband that continued the design. The left arm was painted black and red with an eery orange. He also had an armband on this arm that continued its design. This armband did not extend into a glove, but his hand was painted to blend into it. Andy lowered his arms and turned before slowly reaching down and grabbing the strap of the NXT Championship which lied on the ground next to him before dragging it down the ramp like a corpse. He paused at the end of the ramp before lurching to the right side of the crowd as they called "Strong!" Before doing the same to the left to "Style!". He then walked to the apron. He bit the strap of his title and held it in his mouth as he grabbed the first, then the second rope before using it to go to the third rope. He switched his grip so that his body hung down between the top and middle rope with the championship in his teeth before pulling his feet to the apron. He stared at the camera before making his way to the corner before doing his hanging draw, though it had a slicing action to it before dropping to the ring and crawling across the mat in his Spiderman pose with the title still in his mouth. As Crown of Thorns died, he took the title and gave it to the referee who held it high. "And there's the title. Andy Mercier versus Samoa Joe for it!"

"And you know both men want it." Corey responded to Phillips. "Samoa Joe wants to take it and prove Andy a phony champion. Andy wants to retain and finally shut Joe up for good." The bell rang before Andy and Joe walked forward to come face to face. They exchanged harsh words between one another before Joe slapped his opponent. Before Andy could retaliate, Joe slammed his knee into his gut. A swift elbow to the back of the neck sent Andy to the mat. Joe yelled at him before kicking him in the back of the head. Picking the champion up, Samoa Joe delivered three consecutive short arm clotheslines that laid Andy on his back. Reaching down, Samoa Joe picked Andy up before hitting him with a fallaway slam. Andy arched his back in pain. Joe went to pick him up, but Andy rolled away and spun with an elbow to the head. Joe stumbled and Andy capitalized with a drop kick to the right leg, sending Joe to one knee. Andy pushed back a little before nailing his opponent with a shining wizard. Joe found himself floored staring at the ceiling as Andy slammed his foot into his gut. Joe sat up from the force and Andy landed a sharp kick to his back. Joe quickly stood to his feet and was laid back down with an inverted Bulldog. Andy stood up as the crowd cheered. He nodded his head before reaching for Joe. The down man thumbed his opponent in the eye before delivering a swift upper cut to Andy's jaw. Joe got to his feet and delivered a running forearm to his face. Joe hit a side kick to Andy's face, sending him stumbling backward into a corner before Joe ran into his with an elbow. Joe held him in place and delivered multiple elbows to the side of the skull before he was forced to break the hold because of a four count. Andy stumbled out of the corner and was slammed to the mat with a power slam. Joe kicked Andy in the chest before dragging him to his feet. Joe delivered a swift elbow to the side of his head before bounding off the ropes and hitting his opponent with a back elbow. Andy dropped to the mat. Joe kicked him in the side of the head before reaching down to slap him. He stood bent over, yelling at Andy before the champion pulled him down in a small package. Joe broke free at two and rolled to his feet. He went to kick Andy, but the champion dodged to the side and hit Joe with a side kick. He grabbed the man's arm before Irish whipping him into the corner before launching himself through the air with a high knee. He performed a combination of elbows and knees to the skull before dropping to his feet. Joe fell to a sitting position as Andy made his way to the center of the ring. Then he ran and hit Joe with a hesitation dropkick. Joe rolled out of the corner and Andy began climbing the turnbuckle. As he reached the top though, Joe rolled out of the ring to try to catch a reprieve. Andy scowled before Leaping at his opponent with a Shiranui. Joe laid on the ground dazed as Andy jumped to the apron and climbed the turnbuckle again. Leaping to the ground, he slammed into Joe with a Coup De Grace. Andy stood as the fans cheered before pulling Joe to his feet and sliding him back into the ring. Andy followed after him and went to grab him by the back of the head, but Joe struck him in the jaw.

Andy's head whipped to the side and Joe got to his feet, sending a flurry of punches to Andy's face that laid him on his back. "I'm the real fighter!" Joe screamed at his opponent. Andy made his way to his feet before he was hit with a chimera plex, but Joe only got a two count off of it. Joe pounded the mat in anger. Grabbing Andy, he pulled him into the Coquina Clutch. "Coquina Clutch! Will we have a new champion!?" Andy struggled against the move, screaming in pain before he was able to grab the bottom rope. Joe broke the hold as a count of four. He picked Andy back up, but was hit with a kick to the head. Andy slipped around the side of his body before hitting a straight jacket back breaker and Bridging into a crossface. Joe cried out as the fans cheered loudly. "Show no Mercier! He's got it locked in tight!" Joe fought against the move, and when it looked like he was going to tap, he forced a roll that broke the submission. Joe kicked Andy in the gut and went for another chimera plex, but Andy elbowed him in the side of the skull. Wrapping his arm around his opponents head, he launched himself over his opponents body before bringing him down to the back of his head.

"An Asai DDT! Homage to Ultimo Dragon! And Andy picks the win up off of it!" Crown of Thorns played as Andy retrieved his title from the referee and held it high. He breathed heavily as he leaned against the top rope, pointing his hand like a gun at the camera before yelling.

"Bang Bang! One knock out down, one more this Sunday!"

"Andy talking to Kevin Owens there. Tune into Extreme Rules this Sunday, and we'll see you next week, right here, on NXT!" The show went off air as Andy exited the ring, standing on top of the barricade and raising his title high to the crowds elation.

He walked backstage after the show, Wiping paint from his face and drinking a bottle of water. As he passed by the women's locker room, the door opened and Bayley stepped out. When her eyes met his, she smiled brightly, causing him to rub the back of his neck.

"Hey Andy!" She spoke.

"Hey Bayley." He responded as he wiped more paint from his face. "How are you?"

"I'm doing great. Your match with Samoa Joe was awesome!" Andy chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck again.

"Thanks. As much as I hate to admit it, he's a good competitor." Bayley nodded as she shifted from foot to foot. Andy noticed she was still wearing her ring gear with an NXT training jacket over her upper body. "I'll see you later Bayley. You look like you need to finish getting ready."

"Ok. I'll see you around." Bayley responded with an almost disheartened face. Andy made to walk away but paused and turned around just as Bayley was about to reenter the locker room. "Hey... Bayley?" The female wrestler stopped and looked at him.

"Is something wrong?" She asked in concern.

"No! I mean, there's nothing wrong, but I..." Andy trailed off as he stumbled over his words before taking a deep breath. "Are you free tonight?" Bayley's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Tonight? I'm not doing anything. Why?"

"After you get dressed, if you want to... do you want to go out and... get something to eat with me?" Bayley stared at him before smiling again.

"I'd like that."

"Smashing." Andy responded with a smile of his own. The two wrestlers went their separate ways and Andy went through his post show routine before changing into a plain white tee shirt, a black leather jacket with a black cloth hood that lacked any logos, black jeans and black converse. He began chewing on a piece of gum before grabbing his duffel bag and exiting. He found Bayley on waiting on the other side of the door wearing a dark red dress with a black jacket over it and high heels. She smiled as she laid eyes on Andy and he shifted on his feet. "You look great, Bayley." Andy complimented as they walked to his car.

"Thanks. You do too." She responded as they left they reached the car. They left the parking lot and drove down the road to a restaurant where they hid in a corner booth. They talked as they waited on their food, and then continued the conversation when it arrived. "So, you said that you were never that into the Undertaker. Whose your favorite wrestler?"

"Shawn Michaels." Andy responded with a nod. "Mr. Showstopper, Mr. Wrestlemania, The Sexy Boy, The man with no smile, Mr. Main event, Mr. Five Star Match, Mr. More names than title reigns." Bayley laughed.

"So what was your favorite moment of his."

"His breakthrough moment. Smashing Marty Jannetty's head through the window. I want to recreate that moment, but Jordan won't let me put him through a barber shop window."

"You and Jordan are pretty close, huh?"

"We're both from the UK. Well, he argues I'm not really from there. We both respect MMA and love wrestling. We're always trying to outdo each other. It's like having a brother." Bayley smiled as she leaned on the table.

"So what about you?"

"What do you mean?" She asked in confusion.

"Whose your favorite wrestler?" Bayley shifted in her seat and smiled sheepishly.

"You're my favorite wrestler."

"What? No. Really?" Andy questioned in excited shock. Bayley nodded in response.

"When you wrestle, I wear one of your merchandise shirts and armbands." She spoke guiltily as Andy laughed. "Don't laugh! That's not the worse of it."

"What is?"

"When I'm at the NXT arena really early, I imitate your entrance."

"Do you really?"

"It's like the coolest entrance." She responded defensively as Andy laughed. They finished their food and payed before leaving the restaurant. As Andy drove, Bayley fell asleep in the passengers seat. Not knowing where her room was at her hotel, Andy placed his jacket over her legs and drove to his hotel. He left his duffel bag in the car and carried her to his room, receiving awkward looks from surrounding people. Carefully opening his door, he carried her to the bed and covered her up before taking his jacket and sleeping on the couch. He woke up early the next morning to find Bayley sitting in the chair next to him. She smiled as he looked at her. "Good morning!"

"Good morning." Andy responded as he pulled his pillow over his head. "What time is it?"

"Six thirty." Andy groaned in response before throwing his pillow across the room and sitting up groggily. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I have to get to the training arena. I have to train with Brianna for her match this sunday." Bayley nodded in response as he stood to his feet.

"Thank you for letting me sleep here. I'm sorry I fell asleep and you had to sleep on the couch." Andy yawned as he looked at Bayley who smiled sheepishly.

"Don't worry about. It was no problem." Bayley stood up and hugged Andy. As he normally did, he stood still for a moment before returning the hug.

"It was really sweet. Thank you."

"Your welcome." Andy replied as they broke the hug and he yawned again. "Come on, I'll drop you off at your hotel before I head to the arena."

Andy sat in the men's locker room, leaning his head on his hand as he watched a brief vignette of Mujina, complete with the Extreme Rules logo and the whisper of 'I'm coming' Before cutting to a mask and then to blackness. Brianna wasn't in the arena because she hadn't been scheduled for that night. If he was right, she was probably still training in the arena. Jordan walked to the door in his entrance gear as the main event drew near. "Forgot to say. Good job putting Joe in his place." Jordan stated as he paused in place.

"Thanks. Don't worry. A few more days and you get to lay Owens out." Jordan smirked in response before exiting the locker room. He made his way through the hallways before finding himself at the gorilla position. He shook his head as his opponent made his entrance. Heath Slater. If he beat Jordan he would get a contract with Smackdown. Jordan actually felt bad for the guy. It was heartbreak after heartbreak on his quest for a contract. Slaters music bled away and Riot blared loudly. Jordan walked out into darkness as the crowd cheered wildly before the lights raised. He held his title high before dropping to one knee and giving his cry of "One man enters and one man leaves!" Before walking down the ramp. He paused at the end and bent to look at the camera before jumping on the apron and running the ropes. He threw his shirt to the crowd before entering the ring and giving his title to the referee. It was given to an official and Jordan shook his head again as he stared at his opponent. The bell rang and Heath rushed at Jordan, but was punched in the face. Heath hit the mat and Jordan stared down at him. He pinned him, but Heath forced out at two. Jordan stood to his face with a grimace and pulled Heath to his feet. "I don't think Heath knows where he is off that first punch." Heath slammed Jordan in the face to break free and Jordan angrily stomped him in the gut. A Powerbomb laid him out on the mat. "Oh! Tea time!" Jordan covered Heath, but again he kicked out at two.

"And Heath wants that contract so bad." Jordan pulled Heath to his feet and went for the ropes. Kevin Owens jumped the crowd barricade and slid into the ring, catching Jordan in a pop up Powerbomb. He roared at the crowd before Stalking Jordan. Andy barreled down the ramp as Kevin punted Jordan in the skull before sliding from the ring. Owens laughed as he took a microphone and made his way up the ramp as Andy checked on his friend.

"Hey, Sterling. Can you hear me buddy?" Owens asked in fake concern. "This Sunday? You said you want to confine me in a steel cage? And the only way to win is for one of us to pass out. You're on. I'm going to knock your ass out."

Andy sat backstage at Extreme Rules as he watched a monitor closely. Kevin Owens stood in the center of the ring, staring skyward at the steel cage hanging above him with little worry. Riot began to play and the lights dimmed down. When they rose again, Jordan already stood on the apron of the ring. Owens stumbled back slightly in shock as he handed his title to the referee and tossed his shirt to the crowd. The referee held the championship into the air and the cage began to lower around them. The referee handed the the title off to an official at ringside and the crowd cheered wildly as the cage settled around the ring. The referee called for the bell and the two combatants began circling each other carefully. Owens went for lock up, but Jordan delivered a swift blow to his gut before launching into a series of blows to the chest. Kevin stumbled backward as Jordan held his arms out. "What are you doing!? Knock me out!" The dark skinned man shouted. Kevin flared his nostrils angrily and made for Jordan again, only to recieve an elbow to the side of the head. A spinning heel kick sent him straight to his back. Jordan stomped on his gut, forcing him to sit up. Jordan grabbed his opponent by the back of the head before slamming his knee into Owens face. As he allowed the man to drop to the mat before unleashing a flurry of punches to the face. He stayed atop Owens until the man was able to reverse out from under him before delivering a kick to the back of his skull. Owens stared angrily Jordan before he began stomping his skull. He pulled Jordan to his feet before raking his eyes. Jordan spun around to protect his face and was hit with a suplex. Owens was quick to get back to his feet and slapped the back of Jordan's head before kicking him in the back. Jordan arched his back before Kevin pulled him back up. Kevin shoved Jordan into the corner before kicking him in the back. With Jordan in the corner, Owens launched a vicious attack of blows to the back of the head. Jordan eventually swung out with an elbow to Owens face. Jordan made to push out of the corner, but Kevin grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face into the cage.

"And Owens uses the cage for offense!" Jerry Lawler spoke into his headset. Jordan fell on his back, and Kevin pulled him up again. Kevin slammed his face into the cage and grinned it back and forth before punching Jordan in the jaw. Jordan stumbled to the side before an uppercut sent him to his back. Kevin placed his foot on the side of Jordan's face before stomping his head multiple times. Jordan rolled away and held his jaw. Owens went to pick his opponent up, but Jordan grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him face first into the cage. Kevin stumbled back and Jordan got to his feet before delivering a harsh elbow to the side of his opponents head. Owens went to one knee and Jordan slammed his own into Owens face, sending him to his back. Jordan covered his upper body with his own and delivered multiple knee strikes to the top of the skull before sliding away. Owens stumbled to his feet at a count of five and turned. Jordan went for a jab to the face, but Owens ducked under it before launching up with an uppercut that caused Jordan to stumble. Kevin grabbed him before nailing him with an Argentine neckbreaker. Owens stumbled away and fell to one knee as he held his face as the referee began counting down. Jordan was back up at a count of seven. Owens shook his head and went for another, but Jordan shoved him away before nailing him with a Spear. "M16!" Jerry called as Jordan roared to the crowd. He stalked Owens from the corner before hitting him with a punt kick.

"And now From London With love!" Cole exclaimed as the referee began counting. Owens was barely able to use the cage to break the count at nine. He turned and ducked under a punch before spinning behind Jordan. He wrapped his arm around Jordan's throat and they struggled for dominance before Jordan whipped out of the grapple and landed a solid blow to Owens jaw that made the crowd 'ooh' as Owens hit the mat with his eyes closed and the referee began counting. "8, 9, 10! Owens is out folks! Jordan retains the championship!" Jordan wiped sweat put of his eyes as the cage lifted and officials came to check on Owens. He retrieved his title before holding it high to the crowds approval. He dropped it onto his shoulder and outstretched his arms before pointing to himself with a smile.

"Prize fighter!" He called out, mocking Owens, before he vacated the ring. He walked up the ramp and backstage as a dazed Owens stumbled around with the help of officials. Backstage, Jordan paused as he passed Andy.

"Great match out there. You finally shut Owens up." Jordan thought about the statement for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. It's not over." Jordan patted his friend on the shoulder before Andy watched him walk off. Andy shrugged before he made his way to the gorilla position. Sasha Banks was already in the ring, waiting on Brianna. Andy took a deep breath. Images of Sasha's career flashed with everyone's face being blank on the Titantron. Then, it showed the mirror mask with no eyes or mouth as a voice whispered "I'm here." How To Start a War by Simon Curtis played throughout the arena as the lights dimmed down on stage. A figure appeared on the top of the stage wearing a black leather Trenchcoat with a black cloth hood covering their skull and the same mirror mask from their titantron on their face. They walked down the ramp very much like Sasha had, to her ire and macabre awe, as a male figure appeared walking next to them wearing a leather jacket with the same hood, black combat pants and combat boots.

"This must be Mujina." Cole spoke as the two figures stopped at the end of the ramp. "But what're they doing out here?" Mujina paused at the end of the ramp and stared at Sasha from behind the mask. The new Appearance looked left and right before lifting their hands like guns at the crowd. The lights went completely black briefly and the crowd cheered wildly as How to Start a War became Meteor. The lights came back up. The male had thrown his head back to reveal Andy chewing on a piece of gum while Mujina had thrown away the Trenchcoat. Sasha's jaw was slightly open as Brianna stood at the end of the ramp in her ring gear with the mask on her face. Brianna slowly lowered her hands and removed the mask, giving a wink to her opponent before finishing her entrance as Andy joined commentary. The Women's championship was raised as Jerry spoke.

"That was some entrance Andy. Everyone has thought that Mujina was a new Appearance here in WWE."

"It is in a way." Andy retorted as the bell rang. "Brianna searched her roots and really found who she is." Sasha and Brianna locked up. Brianna sent a stiff knee to her opponent's gut, gaining the upper hand. Brianna delivered a swift blow to her opponent's face before knocking her off her feet with a spinning heel kick. Brianna capitalized by stomping on Sasha and then Kneeing her in the face. Brianna brought Sasha to her feet and slammed her forearm into her face multiple times before bouncing her off the ropes. As she came back, Brianna hit her with another forearm. Sasha hit the mat. As Brianna went to pick her up, Sasha slapped her in the face. She got to her feet and delivered a stiff kick to the abdomen, causing Brianna to double over. Sasha delivered multiple kicks to the legs and lower abdomen before bouncing her off the ropes. As Brianna returned, she was hit with a Japanese arm drag. Brianna was quick to get back to her feet but was Irish whipped into the corner. Sasha launched herself through the air with a double knee. Brianna's head whipped back and Sasha used her dazed state to lay her horizontally in the ropes before hitting her with her signature double knee. Brianna hit the ground as Sasha walked around the ring with a smug smirk on her face. Grabbing Brianna and pulling her to her feet, Sasha began setting her up for a backbreaker.

"I think Sasha is setting up for the Banks Statement!" Cole cried. Andy didn't respond as Brianna reversed around her opponent before hitting Sasha with her own back breaker. Brianna walked around the ring as the crowd cheered. She aimed her hand at Sasha like a gun and gave a shout of 'Shot down!' As the crowd went wild. Brianna rushed across the ring and hit Sasha in the back of the head with a Kinshasa. "Andy's out! Shades of the man sitting right next to us, Andy Mercier, whose been helping her train for weeks!" Brianna dragged Sasha to her feet by her hair as the referee chastised her. She looked around at the crowd as if she wasn't doing anything wrong before spinning her opponent around and hit a break breaker on her, transitioning into a crossface.

"And now a Sweet Sacrifice! Sasha's tapping! We have a new champion!" Jerry called as Andy placed his headset down.

"Here is your winner, and NEW WWE Women's Champion, Brianna Kelly!" Brianna took her title from the referee as she began crying. Andy joined her in the ring and raised her hand as she held the title high for the fans who cheered loudly.

"A lifelong dream accomplished here tonight!" Cole exclaimed as Brianna held the title closely to her chest.

"You found your soul." Andy called to his trainee over the roar of the crowd, prompting her to smile as she held the Too Sweet hand gesture up, to which Andy touched his own to. The Pay per View went to commercial on this. Andy and Brianna vacated the ring and made their way backstage. They rounded a corner and ran into Renee Young who had a large smile on her face. Andy paused.

"We really have to stop meeting like this." He stated as Brianna looked at him oddly and Renee laughed.

"Brianna, you just won the women's championship. Can you tell me what's going through your mind and what you were hoping to do appearing as 'Mujina'?" Brianna smiled.

"I'm so happy! I've worked my whole life to get where I am and to become the women's champion. And now it's finally happened and... I couldn't be happier! And it wouldn't have happened without the fans and this guy next to me." Andy smiled cheekily at Renee before Brianna continued. "As for Mujina... Mujina is a Hawaiian legend. A faceless woman sometimes described with red hair. Nobody considered me top tier. They all said I wasn't a legitimate competitor. I was faceless in their eyes because I wouldn't never reach the point I'm at right now. But I just proved that even faceless people can achieve their dreams! From now on, I represent every fan that has huge dreams and doesn't believe they can achieve them because people think they're faceless. I'm the proof that everyone's dream... can come true!" Brianna smiled brightly and Renee returned it.

"That's really encouraging. Thank you for your time."

"No problem! I'll see you on Smackdown Renee!" Brianna stated happily as she made her way to the women's locker room. Andy slowly made his way off, waving over his shoulder.

"See you around the next corner." Renee's laugh followed him.

XXX

Wrap! RebeccaJoleneAumanWilson I hope you're not mad at me for the creative direction I took with your wrestler! Thanks for reading guys!


	14. Chapter 14

Blitzkrieg 14.0

"Welcome to NXT!" Phillips called happily as the show opened. There was silence for a moment before Crown of Thorns blared loudly. The crowd cheered heavily as Andy came out of the gorilla position onto the top of the stage. He wore his Mercier Club leather jacket, blue jeans and black converse. He made a small circle on the ramp and the crowd waited until he jerked the jacket open to reveal his NXT championship wrapped around his waist. The fans cried out in approval as he smiled. He made his way down the ramp, touching hands with fans before he entered the ring and grabbed a microphone. He waited until his music stopped before speaking. "Last week, Samoa Joe hit a wall in his dream to become the NXT Champion." He stated as the crowd cheered their approval. "His dream turned into a nightmare when he stepped into this ring against me. He tried to put me down. But, in the end, he didn't have it in him to pull the trigger on me. He couldn't make me tap, and he couldn't keep me down for a three count. Two weeks ago, I stood in this ring and said that, at the end of it all, I would still be your champion. Guess what guys? I'm still your champion! Now don't get me wrong, Samoa Joe is-" Andy stopped short and scowled angrily as Samoa Joe's music played and the former number one contender stomped his way to the ring with a microphone in hand.

"Cut my music!" Joe yelled as he came to stare eye to eye with Andy. "You think you're pretty good, don't you? You get a little lucky charm rubbed on you before the match and you're, what, the best wrestler in the world? I don't think so. You got a fluke victory over me. A fluke! But I'm going to rectify that. I want another chance-"

"You want?" Andy interrupted. "You want? I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was the other company where you could throw your weight around get whatever you wanted because, sadly enough, out of all the wrestlers in that cesspool you were one of the best." Joe's nostrils flared angrily at the insult. "I'm sorry Joe. This is probably my fault. I think I kicked your brain back in time last week. This isn't Totally Not Awesome wrestling. This is NXT, mate." The crowd roared at the words. "And in NXT, everything is a proving ground. You aren't just handed title shots. You earn them. And when you fail, guess what? You have to earn them again! You don't get to come out and say 'Give me another one!'! Because there's a whole locker room of men back there just as good as you and just as good as me who deserve a shot at this title more than you!"

"No one deserves that title more than me!" Joe screamed angrily into his mic. Then, the crowd came unglued as Rising Sun played through the speakers and Shinsuke Nakamura made himself known walking down the ramp.

"It looks like Shinsuke begs to differ!" Phillips spoke into his headset. Shinsuke stepped into the ring and grabbed a microphone before coming nose to nose with Samoa Joe.

"Samoa Joe." He spoke in his extremely flamboyant style. "You have had your chance. I've seen everyone in the back, and I have seen the man you are talking to. There is no one that understands what type of person he becomes in the ring. You don't see it, but he is cold and calculating."

"I don't care what he is! Now get out of my ring!" Joe swung for Shinsuke, but the man ducked. Joe was brought up onto Andy's shoulder and hit with a G2S. Joe fell to his knees and was hit in the back of the head by Shinsuke with a Kinshasa.

"Ride the Mercier into a Kinshasa! Joe is out!"

"That is the tag team champions that never happened back in NJPW!" Corey crowed as Andy and Shinsuke stared at each other.

"In Japan." Shinsuke started. "We battled each other. You beat me, but never cleanly. I, however, beat you with no help. For a title that we both still boast today. That is not the title I want to fight you for." The crowd roared at the implications. "I want to be the NXT Champion, and to do that, I have to beat... you!" The crowd roared again as Andy stared at his longtime friend and rival.

"You're right, Shinsuke, I've never beaten you cleanly." Andy spoke into his microphone. "I can't deny the facts, in Japan you were always the better wrestler. Hell, you have more clean wins over me than I do unclean ones over you. The problem there is, there's always a first time for everything." The crowd again roared. "You want a title shot with me? Fine. It gives me the chance to prove that I have finally surpassed even you." The arena became deafening as the two stood eye to eye. William Regal appeared on top of the stage with a microphone in hand.

"I love when wrestlers take it upon themselves to give the people what they want." He stated with a smile. "And I know just the place to do it. Just today I got the news that NXT will showcase a match at Money in the Bank. Therefore, at Money in the Bank, it will be Andy Mercier versus Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship!" The crowd cheered loudly and began a chant of 'NXT'. "And to make it more interesting, starting next week, Shinsuke, you will choose every one of Andy's opponents if he loses even one, you will choose a stipulation for the match. If Andy wins though, he gets to choose the stipulation." The crowd roared loudly at the announcement as Andy nodded his head. The champion and number one contender stared at each other before they shook hands. Then, they vacated the ring and headed backstage. Andy traveled to the men's locker room and began his prematch ritual. Then, he headed to the gorilla position as he waited for his opponent to finish his entrance. He took a deep breath. He was taking on a true veteran in the form of Rhyno. Crown of Thorns played and Andy burst through the curtains. He wore white trunks, white boots and kickpads and white knee pads. He also wore a black long sleeve shirt with the design on the front mimicking his paint with the red Markings, eye and mouth. He wore a black bandanna that came down to his abdomen with the same mouth from his shirt printed on it. Strapped around his waist was his NXT Championship and his hands were taped as they normally were. He came down to both knees and lifted his hands skyward like guns before pointing them at Rhyno and shooting at him. He slapped the ground and came to his feet with a cry of "Strong Style Shooter!". He walked down the ramp, young his Too Sweet hand gesture to the fans before he paused at the end of the ramp. He lowered his body close to the ground and pointed his hand to the left to "Strong!" Nodding, he reached up to reveal his face with a smirk before he pointed to the right with a "Style!". He pulled the bandanna from his face and gave it to a young boy before Leaping onto the apron. He stared put at the crowd before climbing the turnbuckle and doing his hanging draw. He unstrapped his belt and removed his shirt, throwing it to the crowd, before dropping into the ring and giving the title to an official. He stared across the ring at Rhyno before the bell rang. They circled one another before Andy went for a lock up. Rhyno refused however and punched him in the top of the skull. He followed up by Kneeing his opponent in the gut and slinging him into the ropes. Andy bounced off the ropes and was hit with a vicious clothesline. Rhyno stomped his opponent in the chest multiple times before dragging him to his feet for a fallaway slam. Andy stood to his feet as Rhyno towered over him. Andy got wrapped up by Rhyno and the larger man hit him with a belly to belly suplex. And arched his back in pain as the larger athlete stalked around him. Rhyno went to pick him up, but Andy delivered a swift strike to his jaw. Rhyno held it and Andy jumped to his feet with a harsh kick to the side of the head. Rhyno stumbled to the side and Andy leaped through the air with a knee to the face. Rhyno fell back into a corner and Andy hit him with his flying knee before launching into a combo of elbows and knees to the head. He fell to his feet and as Rhyno stumbled out of the corner, Andy hit him with a spinning heel kick that sent him to his back. Andy bounced in place and when Rhyno sat up he was hit with a shining wizard. Andy made for a cover, but was launched through the air at the count of two. Andy stood to his feet before dropkicking his opponent in the leg, sending him to one knee before kicking Andy in the head with an Enzuigiri.

Rhyno's head whipped to the side and Andy aimed his hand like a gun at him before going for a Kinshasa. Rhyno dodged away and launched to his feet with another belly to belly suplex. He then picked the champion up for a scoop power slam that knocked the breath out of Andy. Andy reached over and began pulling himself to his feet using Rhyno as leverage. Rhyno kicked him in the gut before delivering a vicious Power-Bomb. He went for the cover but Andy was able to get the shoulder up at two. Rhyno shook his head and pulled Andy to his feet. Andy delivered a kick to the side of his head. He strained to lift Rhyno onto his shoulders for a Go 2 Sleep, but Rhyno slipped off his back. When Andy turned around, he was hit by a striking spear. "Gore!" Phillips cried out as Rhyno went for the cover.

"And Rhyno puts the champion away with it!" Corey crowed as Rhyno's music played. Andy held his ribs as he laid on the ground. "That will mess Andy up mentally over the next few weeks when he's fighting to earn the right to pick a stipulation for Money in the Bank. He's going to know he went into that with a loss on his record."

"Join us next week for NXT as we start Andy and Shinsuke's road to Money in the Bank!" The show faded as Andy retrieved his title, holding his ribs as Rhyno continued to celebrate his win over the champion.

"Andy's not here tonight?" Becky asked Jordan as he leaned against a wall a few feet away from the Gorilla position.

"No. That Gore he took from Rhyno was pretty bad. Bruised his ribs. So he told me that he wouldn't be here tonight because it wasn't his flagship show anyway." Jordan shrugged. "I feel a little bad for the wanker. I could almost feel the impact through the television set." Becky winced at the words.

"I wasn't watching, but that must have hurt if you say that. Hey, good luck out there. I'm going to go get changed out of my ring gear." Jordan nodded in response. However, as she walked away, he called out to Becky.

"Hey, Becky?" She stopped and turned to look at him. "Would you like to go to a movie with me after the show?" Becky smiled at the question.

"Aye." Jordan returned the smile, though Becky's disappeared as she looked at the monitor. "Owens is in the ring." She stated as she began her track to the women's locker room. Jordan moved across the hallway to look at the monitor.

"Jordan!" Owens called from the ring, having just won his match. "Our business isn't finished! You knocked me out at Extreme Rules, but this isn't over! I'm still here! I'm still standing! Samoa Joe screwed himself out of the title in NXT, but this isn't NXT! This is Smackdown! And you have something I want. That United States championship around your waist. I'm not going away, Jordan. Not until I've exposed you for a phony! A phony fighter and a phony champion! Come on big man! Put the title on the line again at Money in the Bank! It's not like you'll get into the ladder match! You're not a main event enough level to do that!" Riot blared through the arena and Jordan burst through the curtain, having had enough. He walked down the ramp, throwing his shirt to the crowd and dropped his title to the mat as he slid into the ring and grabbed a mic.

"You didn't have enough? When I put you down on the mat? You want to keep coming to me? Did your brain get that rattled in our match? You had your shot. You're done."

"We're not." Owens replied before slapping Jordan. He quickly slid from the ring as Jordan made to attack him. As Owens rushed up the ramp, Jordan's opponent, The Miz, made his way to the ring. He slid in and went to get in Jordan's face, only for Jordan to lay him out with a solid shot to the jaw.

"Just like you, Owens, two hits. Me hitting you and you hitting the ground." Jordan grit through his teeth on the microphone. "You want a rematch at Money in the Bank? You got it! Screw it! I'll even let you name the match type." Owens nodded his head with a laugh and a smug smirk as he disappeared behind the titantron. The show went to commercial on Jordan's infuriated face. When the show came back on air, Jordan was tearing through the hallways. "Where's Owens!?" He yelled angrily as he tossed a chair down the hall, narrowly missing a referee. "I said where's Owens! Somebody here knows where he is and I will start punching heads off until I get his!"

"Jordan! Jordan! Calm down!" Becky called as she appeared at his side. "It's okay! You're going to get him again. Calm down." Jordan took a deep breath through his nostrils and released it. "There you go. Thank you. Why don't you go get out of your ring gear and we'll leave. You need to clear your head." Jordan stood as still as a statue for a minute before nodding his head.

"You're right. I'll swing by the locker rom when I'm ready." The show faded to the ring where Brianna stood in the center, her music playing as she held her title on her shoulder and a microphone in her hand. She smiled as her music faded and the fans chanted 'We're not faceless!'

"No you're not!" She called with a laugh. "None of us are faceless! People think our dreams are jokes. That we'll never achieve them. But I'm standing here tonight to prove to you that's a lie!" She held her championship high and the crowd applauded happily. "There aren't many people that have always stood beside me. I owe one person a huge thank you. He's not here tonight because of his ribs, but I know he's watching. Andy Mercier, thank you so much. You took me under your wing. And you taught me the main thing I needed to know. Just being a good wrestler doesn't make you a top tier. It's being a good wrestler and your connection to the fans! And that brings me to you guys! You've been with me since the beginning and I know you'll be with me every step of the way now. Thank you guys!" The fans cheered loudly after the statement. Then, Sasha Banks music played and she walked onto the ramp with a microphone.

"That's great, honey." She spoke with mock sincerity. "But you're not top tier. Especially not up against The Boss. So don't get comfortable with my title because I'm using my rematch clause for Money in the Bank. And I'll be taking back my belt and you'll be just another faceless competitor in the history of the Boss." Sasha lowered her mic and Brianna shrugged with a fake pout.

"I'd be scared... if there was anything actually 'legit' about you. But the truth is that everything about you... is fake. But that's okay. When you're 'The Boss' it's hard to be real with everybody else when you're so far over them, right? You're using your rematch at Money in the Bank? Good. I can't wait to show the world even someone everybody considers miniscule can beat 'The Boss'. Meanwhile, I have a match against Charlotte right now. Why don't you sit back and watch? Maybe you'll learn what it means to be a wrestler like I had to." Sasha sent a scathing glare at her opponent before disappearing backstage. There was a pause before Charlotte's music played and the woman mad her entrance. Brianna eyes her from across the ring before the bell rang. They got close and Charlotte went for a quick clothesline that Brianna ducked under. Charlotte spun around and was kicked in the abdomen. Brianna kneed her in the face before delivering a forearm. A kick to the back of her knee sent Charlotte to one knee before a knee to her face sent her to her back. Brianna stomped on her stomach and then delivered a sharp kick to the back. Charlotte arched her back before Brianna grabbed her arms. She placed her feet in her opponent's back before dropping to her own and pulling Charlotte into the air. She held her there in pain for a moment before dropping her to the mat. Brianna hopped to her feet and smiled as the crowd cheered. Brianna went to pick her up again, but Charlotte kicked her knee making it bend backward. Standing up, Charlotte grabbed Brianna's arm before hitting her with three consecutive short arm clotheslines. Charlotte kicked her downed opponent before pulling her to her feet by her hair. She pushed Brianna into the corner before dropkicking her in the back. Brianna stumbled backward and was rolled up but kicked out at two. She got to her knees and was kicked in the face. Charlotte stared at her downed form before bounding off the ropes and dropping her knee into Brianna's face. Brianna rolled away and came to her hands and knees before she was kicked in the gut. Charlotte bounced off the ropes again but Brianna launched herself in the air and hit her opponent with a hip attack.

She pulled Charlotte to her feet and Irish whipped her into a corner before hitting a flying knee and launching into a combo of elbows and knees to the head. "Homage to Andy Mercier!" Cole called as Brianna fell to her feet at a count of four. Charlotte stumbled out of the corner before Brianna hit her with a DDT. Brianna climbed up the turnbuckle and went for Andy's Coup De Grace, but Charlotte rolled out of the way. Brianna twisted her knee. Charlotte hit her with a big boot that sent her to her back. Charlotte pulled her to her knees before hitting her with a somersault cutter. "Oh, and Natural Selection! Is that it? No! Brianna kicks out!" Charlotte looked around in frustration before grabbing Brianna's legs. "She's going for the figure eight leg lock!"

"Brianna rolled out though!" Jerry called. Charlotte made to grab her, but Brianna kicked her in the gut before hitting a lifting single underhook DDT. "The Kelly Maneuver! Now what's she doing?" Kelly lifted her hands over her face and moved her head back and forth before stomping Charlotte in the back and placing her in a Camel clutch. "Maximum Overdrive!" The King cried out. "And Charlotte's tapping!" Meteor played as Brianna released Charlotte and retrieved her title. She held it high with a smile as the fans cheered, copying her hidden face head shake. Brianna laughed as she called 'I'm ready Boss!' To the camera as Smackdown faded to comercial.

Jordan sighed as he walked out of the movie theater with Becky. "That movie was bad." He stated, causing Becky to nod in agreement.

"Yeah, I know. As we were walking in you said, and I quote, I know it's bad from all the reviews but maybe it's bad enough to be good if I look at it as a comedy. End quote."

"It wasn't even that. It was... just bad all around. I thought about leaving three times." Becky laughed as they walked to Jordan's car.

"Did you have to spend the movie throwing popcorn at the people in front of us?" She asked out of breath.

"I thought it was Andy." Jordan replied with a shrug as they entered his car. Becky launched into another laughing fit.

"He had blond hair!"

"It was dark!" He defended jokingly. Becky smiled as she shook her head. "Are you ready to go back to your hotel?" Becky looked out the window before shaking her head.

"No. Let's go get something to eat?" Jordan nodded in reponse.

"Absolutely." The two went out to eat. Jordan was the first to finish and sat stirring his straw as he waited.

"So wrestling has pretty much been your whole life, huh?" Becky asked, receiving a nod.

"Its all i ever wanted to do with my life. I tell the story the same everytime. When in watched the Undertaker walk down that ramp, I knew this was what I wanted to do forever. And now that I'm here I don't want to ever stop." Becky nodded.

"When I was in NXT, I remember how surreal it was. Then I moved up to the main Roster and I remember looking around and thinking, 'this is real. I made it.'"

"I'm glad you did." Jordan replied as Becky leaned forward on her hand, staring at Jordan and causing him to shuffle in his seat. They finished eating and paid before spending most of the night riding through town. Eventually, Becky was dropped off at her hotel and Jordan turned in for what remained of the night.

XXX

Wrap. Road to MitB begins.


	15. Chapter 15

Blitzkrieg 15.0

Andy sat backstage at NXT, scribbling heavily on a piece of paper as his tongue hung out the side of his mouth. He furrowed his brow as the fans roared to something happening in the ring. "Hey Andy!" The NXT Champion jumped, his pencil scraping over the paper as he covered it with his body. "What're you doing."

"Hey, Bayley." He returned to the person who had spoke to him, drawing out the hey for a few seconds. "Nothing much. Just writing some stuff down. You know. Just some... boring... old stuff." Bayley looked at him strangely for a second before smiling in response.

"If you say so. Do you know who you're fighting tonight?" Andy's body stiffened for a moment before he shook his head.

"I have no idea. But whoever it is, it's not going to be easy. When it comes to Shinsuke, he's good at mind games." Andy popped his neck before standing up. "Speaking of which, I better head to the ring to find out." Andy stood to his feet and made to walk away before Bayley grabbed him in a hug.

"Be careful out there." She spoke before Andy returned the hug. "And be safe."

"I will." Bayley released Andy and smiled at him before she left for the locker room and Andy went to the gorilla position. He bounced in place for a few seconds before Crown of Thorns played and he burst through the curtains wearing black trunks, white boots and kickpads and white knee pads with his Nightmare paint long sleeve shirt and bandanna. He came down to both knees and pointing skyward before jumping up with a shout of "Strong Style Shooter!". He walked to the barricade and quickly pulled his bandanna down and off before handing it to a young teen. He leaped onto the apron and stood still for a second before climbing the turnbuckle for his hanging draw. He removed his title and shirt before tossing the shirt to the crowd. He dropped into the ring, handing his title off as he waited for his opponent. He rolled his neck as Austin Aries music played and the made his way to the ring, never really breaking eye contact with Andy. Aries entered the ring and the two stared off before the bell rang. Andy and Austin began circling one another.

"And here we go, Andy versus Austin Aries apparently. If you don't know the stakes here, Shinsuke Nakamura is picking an opponent for Andy to fight every week until Money in the Bank. If Andy loses one match, Shinsuke chooses a stipulation for their match. If Andy wins them all, he chooses." The two wrestlers in the ring locked up and began a fight for dominance.

"And what a first choice to go with in Austin Aries. Especially off of that loss to Rhyno for Andy last week." Aries kicked out with his foot and hit Andy in the shin before arm dragging him to the ground. Andy was quick back to his feet, but Aries was already flying through the air, letting his foot slam into Andy's face. Andy hit the mat and Austin wrapped his arm around his throat in a choke hold. He held him there for a few seconds before delivering multiple stiff shots to the top of Andy's skull. Releasing him, Austin stomped on his chest. Andy sat up and Aries went for a shining wizard. Andy dropped to his back and it went right over him before Andy jumped his feet. As Aries turned around, he was hit with a jumping back kick. Aries hit the ground and Andy fell to forward, allowing his knee to slam into his opponents abdomen. Andy bounded off the ropes as Aries got to his feet. He ducked under a clothesline before Leaping to the second rope. He jumped to the third and springboard backward, flipping over Aries head. Aries hit the mat with an inverted DDT. Andy climbed the turnbuckle and leaped through the air, slamming his knees into Austin's abdomen before rolling away. He jumped to his feet.l before making a grab for Aries. The man kicked up from the ground, hitting him in the face, before he launched himself upward with a clothesline. Andy hit the mat before he was dragged to his feet for a neck breaker. Aries rushed the turnbuckle before launching off of them with an elbow drop. Andy held his chest as he rolled away, out of breath.

Austin threw Andy into the ropes. Andy held onto the top rope, allowing Aries to hit the mat as he went for a dropkick. As Austin got back to his feet, Andy blew past him before Irish whipping him into the corner. As he hit the corner, Andy followed with an elbow to the face. Aries slid to a sitting position before Andy hit him with a hesitation dropkick. As Aries rolled away, Andy climbed the turnbuckle and went for a Coup De Grace, but Aries rolled and stood to his feet, kicking Andy in the gut in midair before dropping him with a DDT. Aries picked him up and Irish whipped him into the corner across the ring before hitting him with a running dropkick. Andy stumbled out of the corner before Aries grabbed him by the neck and flipped him over his shoulder onto his back. Aries climbed the turnbuckle before performing a 450 Splash as the commentators yelled in awe. Austin went for the pin but only got a near fall. Austin shook his head and climbed to the apron. When Andy had gotten to his feet, he springboard into the ring. Andy dodged slightly to the side and stuck his knee up, allowing Aries face to smack into it with full force. "Oh my god! It's like Aries just ran himself up for a Super Ride the Mercier!" Andy went for the cover and nodded as his music played. "And Andy picks up the win on Aries mistake!" Andy stood to his feet and grabbed his title before raising it high in the air. He walked to the ropes and looked in the camera, showing one finger before showing two. NXT faded as Andy called out "Two to go!"

Jordan leaned against a wall as he talked with Becky. "Did you see that tweet Owens made about you?"

"No I did not. Prefer to stay away from social media. Especially when it involves in ring. He can post whatever he wants, he just better be able to back it up when I get my hands on him again." Becky bit the inside of her cheeks as she saw Jordan's anger spike.

"He really gets under your skin doesn't he? You shouldn't let him do that. It's not good for you. It makes me worry." Jordan took a deep breath before sighing.

"You're right. I'll work on it." Becky smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

"Look forward to it." Jordan responded with a smile before she began to walk away.

"Hey Jordan!" A voice called and he turned to see Brianna approaching him.

"Hey Brianna. What're you doing?"

"Looking for Andy. Have you seen him." Jordan frowned before shaking his head.

"He's not here. Somethings... off. I didn't know Andy before the WWE so I don't know the whole deal with Shinsuke. But it's like the moment he found out he was facing Shinsuke he became you. He doesn't hardly leave the NXT training arena. I honestly don't know if we'll see him on Smackdown again until after the Money in the Bank. It's like he has something to prove. I'm a little worried about him." Brianna nodded with a frown before making her way to the gorilla position. She exited to the stage as her music played. She smiled as she walked down the ramp before making her way into the ring. She retrieved a microphone and waited until her music died.

"Money in the Bank is getting here fast. We're already, what, halfway there? Sasha, I want you to listen. In two weeks, you'll be facing the Mujina. You'll be facing the woman who put you down in her very first match against you. The problem for you there? I am constantly evolving. Are you? Or are you secure enough that you're the Boss, that you're untouchable, that you already have the victory in the bag? I want you to ask yourself a question. Why are you walking into Money in the Bank? To take your title back?

"I'm walking in for everyone who wants to achieve their dream. You're good, Sasha, I'll give you that. And I don't doubt for one second that you're going to put me down multiple times during our match. But each time you do, I'm going to reach out and I'm going to feel the fans support. The little girls who want to grow up to have this title. The boys who want to be the next Finn Balor and Andy Mercier. And I'm going to use that support, the support of people who are just like me, to beat you. Again. Sasha, I respect you. But you're too set on being the best. I've realized something about that. When you're so hung up on being the best, you miss the moments that would have made you the best, and you can't go back." Brianna gave the microphone away and waited for her opponent, Dana Broke, to make her way to the ring.

She entered, and Brianna waited for the bell to ring. Once it did, the two women slowly circled one another before locking up. Dana pushed Brianna away and slapped her in the face before kicking her in the abdomen. Brianna bent over and Dana sent her to the mat with a double axe hand. Dana stood over the Women's champion and taunted. Brianna rolled to her feet and dodged to the side as Dana made to kick her. Brianna elbowed her opponent in the side of the head before bouncing her opponent off of the ropes before smashing her forearm into her opponent's face. Dana hit the mat and Brianna dropped a knee on her face. Reaching down, she pulled her opponent to her feet before Irish whipping her into the corner. Brianna followed after but Dana dodged to the side. Brianna slammed into the turnbuckles before rebounding out and getting hit in the side of the head by a swift kick. Brianna leaned on the ropes and Dana made a rush for her. Brianna sent her over the top ropes to the apron. Spinning, Brianna punched her opponent in the gut before pulling her through the middle and top rope. Brianna hit her with a lifting single underhook DDT. "The Kelly Maneuver through the ropes! Is that it!?" Dana was able to force out at it.

Brianna made to grab her again but was slapped in the face. Brianna's head whipped to the side. Before she could recover, Dana hit her with an Enzuigiri. Brianna hit the mat before she was pulled to her feet. Dana performed a Samoan Driver and went for the cover, only receiving a near fall. Dana scream at the referee in anger before yanking her opponent to her feet. She Irish whipped her to the ropes, but Brianna kept hold of her arm, using it as leverage to swing around behind Dana where she hit her with a backbreaker before Bridging a crossface. "And now a sweet sacrifice! Dana has no choice but to tap!" Brianna released Dana as Meteor played and got to her feet with a smile. Then, she hit the mat as Sasha Banks hit her from behind. The former champion glared down at her before dragging her to her feet and hitting her with her own back breaker. Brianna rolled out in the middle of the ring. Sasha snatched the championship from the referee and held it high as she stood over Brianna before dropping it on her body as Smackdown went to commercial.

Jordan stood behind the curtains, pacing back and forth as he waited for his music to play. He sighed as he rubbed his hand over his face. He had too much on his mind. Riot started up and it began fading with every step he took onto the stage. By the time the lights were brought up, and he was found holding his belt high over his head with a focused look, it had all faded away. The his body lurched forward and he stumbled down the ramp before falling to his stomach. Kevin Owens stood in his place with a steel chair in hand. He slowly walked down the ramp, and as Jordan made to get to his feet, another chair shot made him stumble to the end of ramp, his back arched in pain. Owens looked down and dropped his chair before picking up Jordan's discarded championship. Jordan struggled to get to his feet, and as he turned, Owens charged him and smashed the championship into his skull. Jordan hit the ground and Owens threw the United States Championship down before walking back up the ramp and retrieving the steel chair he had been using. Walking back down, he stared hatefully down at his Money in the Bank opponent before slamming the chair into his back over and over again. After so many shot, Jordan's body stopped reacting to them, and he just lay on the ground. Owens reached down and pulled Jordan to his feet with one hand and threw him into the ring before following after and Assaulting him with the steel chair again. Opening the chair and setting it in the middle of the ring before pulling Jordan up, bouncing him off the ropes and hitting a pop up power bomb that broke the steel chair.

Owens glared down at Jordan before an arm grabbed him to try to stop anything else. Owens shoved them away violently and Becky Lynch stumbled across the ring. Owens walked away and grabbed a microphone before walking back and stopping on Jordan's face. He continued to do so until Becky rushed forward and covered Jordan's body with her own, keeping her eyes closed as she waited for impact. Kevin shook his head before lowering himself to one knee and talking into his microphone. "At Extreme Rules, we did things your way in a steel cage knockout match. At Money in the Bank, we do things my way . You see, Jordan, I've come to realize something over the past week, shut up or I'll drive a chair into his throat!" Owens screamed angrily at the crowd who booed. "I've realized that our match isn't just about me taking your title. It's about me ending your career. So at Money in the Bank, I'm going to rip you apart, break your bones, tear your skin off, I'm going to crush your throat... in a hardcore match!"

"A hardcore match!?" Cole echoed in disbelief.

"And Jordan, buddy, I wouldn't get cold feet. I mean, I know you will because, when you finally come to, you're going to realize that I'm going to destroy you, that I'm going to take your title, your life, your very livelihood away. Despite that, you make sure that in two weeks time, you March down that ramp and get in this ring for your beating. Otherwise... well, there's a rumor that orange haired thing protecting you and you have gotten pretty close. It would be a shame if something happened to her because someone forced her to fill your empty spot." Kevin through his microphone down and spit on the mat next to Jordan's prone body before he vacated the ring. The show faded as Becky screamed for help as she held Jordan's neck still.

XXX

Wrap. Fun fact, this is the first time Brianna and Jordan have actively interacted... I think...


	16. Chapter 16

Blitzkrieg 16.0

Andy leaned tiredly against a wall in the halls of NXT. He was already wearing his entrance gear and was simply waiting first the time for him to go to the gorilla position. He poured some water over his slicked back hair and rubbed his face. "Hey Andy!" He lifted his head and smiled tiredly at Bayley as she approached him, having just finished her own match.

"Hey Bayley." The female wrestler frowned as she got closer to him. He had black rings around his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Are you okay? You look exhausted." She questioned in worry. Andy sighed as he leaned his head back on the wall and slid down into a sitting position. Bayley went into a squatting position and placed her hand on the side of his face. "Andy? What's wrong?"

"I'm tired. I haven't hardly slept since Shinsuke became my number one contender. He's always been the better wrestler. He's always been one step ahead of me. No matter how hard I worked in New Japan, I was always pushing to be better than Shinsuke Nakamura. I never reached his level. I have to beat Shinsuke at Money in the Bank. By myself for the first time. How am I supposed to beat someone like him when Rhyno laid me out?" Bayley sighed before pulling Andy's head toward her and hugging him.

"You can't do that to yourself. You ask how you're going to beat him when Rhyno beat you? But how are you going to beat him when you're too exhausted to fight. It's one thing to train hard for a match. It's another to kill yourself before the match. I think you of all people know that." Andy returned her hug and stood to his feet before they broke apart.

"You're right." He returned as he rubbed his eyes. "I just want to prove that Shinsuke and I are finally on equal ground." Bayley nodded in understanding and rubbed his shoulder.

"I know. Trust me, I do. Your match is about to start. I'll see you later, okay? Be careful out there." Andy nodded in response as he made his way to the gorilla position. He felt sluggish, especially as Crown of Thorns played just as he reached his destination. He took a deep breath and tried to force his exhaustion away before bursting through the curtains. Wearing all black gear with his Nightmare shirt and bandanna, he came to both knees and pointed skyward as the fans cheered. He slapped the ground and jumped to his feet, but didn't give his normal yell as he walked down the ramp. He touched hands with fans and went into a crouched position before removing his bandanna. He tossed it to the crowd before jumping onto the apron. He paused here for a second before going to do his hanging draw. He unstrapped his belt and threw his shirt to the crowd before hopping into the ring and handing his title off to the referee. He fell into a corner with his arms on the top ropes and his ankles crossed as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. They snapped back open as Tokiwakita by CFO$ played and Hideo Itami emerged onto the top of the stage.

"Oh wow!" Phillips cried out as the man made his entrance. "Shinsuke really aiming to put a halt to Andy before Money in the Bank here tonight."

"Oh yeah, I bet Andy's mind is racing a mile a minute right now. It's the Go 2 Sleep versus Ride the Mercier." Hideo entered the ring and stared across at Andy, who pushed himself out of the corner. The bell rang and the two darted forward to circle each other. "And here we go!" Andy and Hideo locked up, struggling back and forth for the advantage before Andy lashed out with a kick to Itami's side. Hideo grit his teeth and delivered a swift blow to Andy's head with his elbow before pushing back. He kicked Andy multiple times in the leg before the champion spun around him and put him in a headlock. Andy pushed forward before Hideo broke the hold and wrenched his arm behind his back. Andy locked his leg behind his opponents and sent him to the ground before going for a shining wizard. Hideo fell to the mat before coming to his feet and striking out with his leg at Andy's head. Andy ducked down before coming up with an upper cut to the jaw. Hideo stumbled slightly before striking out with a kick to the side of the head. Andy went sideways in his steps before Hideo hit him with a spinning Roundhouse kick. Andy fell to his back and Hideo launched himself into the air before bringing his knees down onto Andy's chest. Andy grit his teeth and rolled away, clutching his ribs. Hideo went to pick his opponent up, but Andy brought his arm into the back of his knees and sent Hideo to the canvas. Picking Hideo up by the back of his head, Andy smashed his face into a top turnbuckle before elbowing him in the back to make him fall forward into the corner. Andy unloaded on his back with multiple shots to the back of Itami. He broke away at the count of four and went for a high knee to the back of his opponents skull, but Hideo slid away at the last second, letting Andy get caught up. He grabbed Andy by his abdomen and trunks before slamming him to the mat with a modified powerbomb.

Andy arched his back in pain as Hideo exited to the apron before launching himself into the ring with a slingshot leg drop. Andy rolled, holding his throat as Hideo stood back to his feet. The fans cheered loudly as Andy fought back to his own. As he turned, he was hit by a running single leg dropkick. "Shotgun kick!" Phillips yelled loudly as Hideo went for a pin, but only succeeded with a two count. Hideo stood to his feet and pulled Andy up before performing a Tornado DDT onto the ring ropes. Andy held his head before Hideo stomped his abdomen. Reaching down, Hideo drew him up and went for another DDT, but Andy launched him across the ring. When he came to his knees, he was hit by a shining wizard. Andy stared up at the ceiling before dragging himself to his feet. He pulled Itami up and put him on his shoulders. "Andy going for Ride the Mercier!" Hideo slipped off of Andy's back and pulled him onto his own shoulders. "Hideo counters! Go 2 Sleep! Andy must be out!" Hideo went for the cover, but only got another near fall.

"Andy kicking out just on pure instinct there." Corey observed as Hideo pulled his opponent to his feet before setting him up for another Go 2 Sleep. "And there it is again, No! Andy blocked the knee with his hands!" Andy spun the shocked Hideo around and lifted him onto his shoulders like a torture rack before hitting an inverted Go 2 Sleep and falling on top of Itami's body. "Inverted Ride the Mercier! And Andy does it! He puts Hideo away with a move that Hideo himself innovated!" Andy pushed off of his opponent as retrieved his title before stumbling to his feet. He leaned heavily on the ropes as he smiled at the camera, putting up two fingers, and then one. 'Two down, one to go Shinsuke!' He called as the show faded from the air.

Andy made his way backstage and traveled to the men's locker room before doing his post show routine. Dressing in a red muscle shirt, black shorts and white sneakers, he grabbed his duffel bag. He made his way to the door as he rooted around in the bag before he paused and looked around in a panic. "What the hell?" He threw open the locker room door and made to storm out, but Bayley stood outside. Holding his car keys.

"Looking for these?" She asked with a smile. Andy nodded in response. Bayley continued to stand there and Andy raised an eyebrow.

"Can I have them?" Bayley put a finger on her bottom lip as if she were thinking before shaking her head.

"No."

"No?" Andy asked incredulously.

"You heard me. I'm not going to let you go out and run yourself into the mat tonight." Andy sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He knew arguing was a lost cause.

"How am I supposed to get back to my hotel then?"

"You're not." Bayley replied simply with a shrug before motioning for

him to follow her. "You can stay at mine." Andy's eyes widened and he fidgeted heavily as he trailed behind the NXT Women's champion.

"I can drive to my hotel. Or you could drop me off?" Bayley shook her head without even thinking about it.

"No. Until you've had your match with Shinsuke, I'm keeping a close eye on you. Obviously, I can't trust you to take care of your health."

"Yes ma'am."

Brianna walked through the hallways of Smackdown, looking for any signs of her mentor. She knocked on the men's locker room and waited a moment before Jordan opened it. His hands were taped and there was a punching bag violently swaying in the background. Brianna raised an eyebrow but decided to let the man deal with his problems in his own way. "Andy's not here." Jordan spoke before the words could even escape her mouth. Her shoulders slumped slightly.

"Is he okay?"

"He is now." Jordan returned with a one sided shrug. "Bayley has him on a strict schedule that involves actually sleeping. He's still training a lot though. Tweaked his knee a little bit the other day. He said to tell you he'd try to be here next week before Money in the Bank. In the meantime, he said to keep pushing forward as the champion and don't let Sasha get to you. The closer you get to your match, the more she'll try to put you down mentally." Brianna nodded in response. Jordan glanced over his shoulder at the television at the locker room before looking back at her. "Speaking of which, I'd go find a monitor. Sasha's in the ring right now, mate." Jordan closed the door and went back to punching his punching bag as Brianna moved down the hall to stare at a monitor. It showed Sasha Banks standing in the middle of the ring with a smug smirk on her face.

"Brianna, are you back there?" Sasha asked in a faux concerned tone. "I hope your ok after I laid you out last week! When you were laying there with me standing over you, did you realize how pointless your short run with the Championship is? Because everybody knows that I'm taking it back at Money in the Bank. Just like last week when I stood over you with the title, I'll do the same at the pay per view. I'll show all the fans why it's pointless to follow a faceless leader. A no name nobody. Because I'm the Boss of the Women's division. And I'll prove it when I become a two time WWE Women's champion. And you can bank... on that." Sasha rolled her eyes and looked at the ramp as Meteor played and Brianna walked onto the top of the stage.

"Sasha, the only thing you're the Boss of is your ego." Brianna stated as she held her championship on her shoulder. "You jumped me from behind last week. Congratulations. You don't have that opportunity at Money in the Bank. When that bell rings, we'll be standing face to face. You won't have any cheap shots to use. And after I beat you, for the second time, you won't have any excuses to give." Sasha turned her body to fully face her pay per view opponent.

"I'm glad you have a good imagination. Maybe after I beat you, you'll be able to pretend like you're still relevant to the WWE, if anybody ever thought you were relevant to begin with. In fact... how about a deal Ms. Faceless. Next week you pick anybody you want to go up against who I pick. And if your person can't beat, say... Enzo Amore from Raw," The crowd cheered loudly at the name, "Then I don't want to see you anymore. After I beat you for the title, you can go to NXT because you'll be done on the main roster." Brianna glared at her number one contender before nodding.

"Deal. And if Enzo can't beat, let's say... Andy Mercier from NXT," the crowd cheered even louder than before, "Then our match at Money in the Bank becomes a ladder match!" Sasha dropped her mic and nodded her head as she spit insults at Brianna, who smiled as she pointed her hand like a gun at Sasha before shooting it as Smackdown went to commercial.

When it came back, Jordan stood behind the gorilla position, bouncing in place. "Jordan." He halted his actions and glanced over his shoulder to find Becky approaching him. "How are you doing?" Jordan shrugged in response.

"I'm okay. I'm hoping that Owens shows his ugly mug tonight so I can bash it in." Becky frowned at his words and places her hands on his shoulders.

"Calm down for me. Don't do anything stupid, Jordan. Kevin is really inside of your head right now and you need to shake the cobwebs out."

"He threatened you, Becky." Jordan retorted. "He's gone far enough with everything he's done since he started all of this. He crossed the line last week."

"I'm not worried about him." Becky returned with a shake of her head. "I'm worried about you. You're in a bad place right now. You don't need to go through with this hardcore thing Owens is trying to get going. You're going to get hurt." Jordan but the inside of his cheek before speaking.

"He shoved you last week. When Money in the Bank comes around, I'm going to hurt him more than he hurts me."

"Jordan..."

"It's time for me to go out." Jordan stated as he turned around and entered the gorilla position. Seconds later, Riot played throughout the arena and Jordan entered into darkness. The lights raised and he stood at the top of the ramp, his title raised high and a focused look on his face. He glanced over his shoulder before coming to one knee and giving his cry of "One man enters and one man leaves!". He got to his feet, glaring over his shoulder again before walking down the ramp. He threw his shirt to the crowd ahead of time as he did this and jumped onto the apron before entering the ring. He tossed his title to an official and turned to stare at the ramp as he waited for his opponent. He nostrils flared as Destroyer by CFO$ played and Samoa Joe walked down to the ring with a smug smirk on his face. He walked up the steel stairs and entered the ring before he was promptly hit with a spear.

"Oh my god, an M16! The match didn't even start!" Michael Cole exclaimed as Jordan stood over the fallen wrestler. Jordan rolled out of the ring and pulled the apron up, digging around under the ring before producing a steel chair. "Don't tell me he's planning to do what I think he is!" Jordan slid back into the ring. As Samoa Joe came to his hands and knees, Jordan cracked him on the back with his weapon. Jordan slammed the chair in his back multiple times. Jordan walked away and wedged the chair in between the middle and top turnbuckle. He returned to Joe and picked him up before throwing him headfirst into the chair. Joe stumbled around and Jordan caught him. Lifting him up, he power bombed the beaten wrestler to the outside of the ring. Jordan grabbed the top rope with both hands and stared down at his broken target before retrieving a microphone and his United States championship.

"Owens!" He called angrily. "I know you're back there hiding out like the coward you are! Do you think I'm scared of you? Do you think I'm scared of going hardcore! You want to put me in a ring with you with weapons? You want to put your life on the line? You got it! At Money in the Bank, you and I will face off in a hardcore match for the United States Championship, you damn wanker. And I'm going to hurt you. No matter how much pain you inflict on me, I'm going to inflict it back three fold! Owens, this isn't even about the title anymore. You want to end my career. And after what you did last week, I want to break you." Jordan lowered his microphone as Kevin Owens stepped out onto the top of the ramp, chuckling.

"I'm glad you see things my way. And I'm not sorry to say, your dream of being a wrestler, is coming to an end. I've spent hours thinking about what I'm going to do to you, and I finally decided that I'm going to break your damn neck!" The crowd roared with boos as Jordan nodded his head.

"You're welcome to try. But, hell, why wait until then, mate? Let's kill each other right now." Jordan dropped his microphone and vacated the ring, making his way up the ramp as Owens laughed.

"Finally, something we can agree on." Owens returned before dropping his own mic and walking toward Jordan. Both wrestlers stopped just short of each other as Daniel Bryan's music played and the crowd cheered loudly.

"NO!" Daniel yelled as he stomped onto the stage. "You two have one week, one measly little week, to wait before you get to destroy each other at Money in the Bank. You're not touching each other tonight! Do you understand me!?" The two wrestlers glared hatefully at one another as the crowd began a chant of 'Yes! Yes! Yes!'. "But, next week, you two will be in the ring together. In a tag team match. You'll be facing the Hype Bros." Daniel lowered his mic and left back backstage, and Smackdown faded as Jordan and Owens got in each others faces, nose to nose as they spit hateful words at one another.

XXX

Wrap. I'm really hoping to make MitB something really good. I just hope it works out. Also, I know I haven't said it, but everything in the Mercier Verse (What I named it when it was still a project at the time) is pretty much a shoot. So the rivalries and wrestlers actions are pretty much real.


	17. Chapter 17

Blitzkrieg 17.0

Andy walked into the NXT arena with his duffel bag over his shoulder, followed by Bayley. The dark rings around his eyes had mostly faded and he looked a lot healthier than he had the previous week. "Yes, I promise I'll be on Smackdown." Andy spoke into his phone as he walked. "I'm not going to let you down, Brianna. Yes. Yes I know. Enzo's a muppet. I'm not scared of him. Not when I'm going up against Shinsuke this Sunday. I'll be there okay? I'll see you then." Andy hung his phone up before glancing to Bayley.

"Brianna?" Andy nodded in response.

"She's nervous about her match with Sasha. Her first title defense and all." Bayley nodded in response.

"I remember my first defense when I first won the NXT Women's Championship. It was terrifying. Tell her I said good luck the next time you talk to her. I'll come find you after the show, okay?" Andy gave a brief wave in response before the two wrestlers went to their separate locker rooms. Andy dropped his duffel bag off and began getting ready for his match. It constantly weighed on the back of his mind. Who was the last person Shinsuke would have him face? What stipulation would Shinsuke have if he lost? What if he couldn't beat Shinsuke? What if still wasn't good enough? What if-

"Andy, you're up." An officials voice broke through his reverie, causing his eyes to widen. He hurriedly tied his boot and made his way through the hallways, pulling on his entrance gear as he arrived at the gorilla position. He had very few seconds before Crown of Thorns announced his arrival and the fans cheered for him. Andy burst through the curtains wearing his plain white gear and his Nightmare shirt and bandanna. He dropped to both knees, pointing skyward before jumping to his feet with a shot of "Strong Style Shooter!" Before making his way down the ramp, touching hands with fans. He paused at the end of the ramp and crouched down before lifting his right hand to "Strong!" Before lifting his left to "Style!". He reached up and pulled his bandanna down to reveal a smirk before taking it and giving it to a fan. He jumped onto the apron and hesitated there for a second before going for his hanging draw. He removed his title and threw his shirt to the fans before dropping on the ring and handing his title off to an official. He waited for his opponent as his music died. Rising sun played and Shinsuke stepped out onto the top of the ramp, smiling down at Andy. He paused with a microphone in his hand before lifting it to his mouth.

"Andy, you've defeated every obstacle I've placed before you. You've indeed grown since the last time we faced one another. I would like to face you myself tonight..." The crowd cheered at these words. "Unfortunately, I cannot. And since I cannot be the one to defeat you tonight, the opponent I have chosen for you... is one who can. And has." Shinsuke stepped away from the stage and reentered the gorilla position as Andy narrowed his eyes. He felt himself take a sharp intake of breath as Rhyno's music played and the veteran wrestler marched down the ramp and into the ring.

"That's definitely messing with Andy on a mental level." Corey spoke into his headset. "He lost to Rhyno the night Andy found out Shinsuke was his new number one contender. And now Rhyno might be the one to put a halt to Andy's rebuilt momentum going into Money in the Bank this sunday." The bell rang, and Andy began circling Rhyno. Rhyno lashed out with a swift strike but Andy dodged under it and rolled along the mat. Andy popped back up and hit a dropkick to his opponents back that made him stumble forward. Andy rushed forward and hit the back of Rhyno's knee with a shoulder block that sent him down to one knee. Bouncing of the ropes, Andy hit the larger man with a shining wizard.

"Andy trying to get the ball rolling in his favor early on here." Phillips commented as Andy attempted to pull Rhyno to his feet. The bigger wrestler jabbed his fist into his jaw before delivering a Headbutt that sent Andy stumbling backward. Rhyno rushed at him and hit him with a clothesline that laid him out on his back. Rhyno dropped an elbow down onto Andy's chest before pulling him to his feet and Irish whipping him into the corner. Rhyno followed closely behind with another clothesline. Andy fell to a sitting position in the corner. Rhyno used his foot to face wash his opponent. Stepping away from Andy at a count of four, Rhyno went for another clothesline Andy as he fought to his feet. Andy dodged to the side and Rhyno slammed into the corner. He stumbled back and Andy rolled him up for a pin, but it was broken at a one count. Rhyno made a punch for Andy, but he dodged to the side and grabbed the arm before dropping to his back and bringing the arm down onto his knees. Rhyno rolled away, clutching the damaged appendage. Andy rushed forward and dropped a knee onto his opponents face. Rhyno thrashed slightly before Andy began picking him up. Rhyno delivered a harsh blow to his gut before hitting him with a fallaway slam. Rhyno descended on his opponent, stomping at his chest. Andy grit his teeth as he was pulled to his feet and Irish whipped into the corner. Rhyno went for another corner clothesline, but Andy dodged to the side. When Rhyno turned around, he was hit with Andy flying knee before being hit with elbows and knees. Andy dropped away at four and Rhyno fell to a sitting position where he was hit with a hesitation dropkick. Rhyno rolled to the center of the ring as Andy climbed the turnbuckle. Andy went for a Coup De Grace but Rhyno rolled away. Andy tweaked his knee as he landed before he was hit with a striking spear that landed him near the corner. "Gore! That puts Andy put last time!" Rhyno went for the cover and got a two before the referee noticed Andy had his foot on the bottom rope. Rhyno got to his feet and stomped to the opposite corner before crouching and motioning for Andy to get up.

"And it looks like he's going for it again!" As Andy climbed to his feet, Rhyno rushed for him. But Andy dodged to the side and let Rhyno crash his shoulder into the ring post. "Oh! That's going to hurt!" Rhyno stumbled backward out of the corner before he was hit with a back breaker. Andy transitioned into a crossface and pulled back to where it seemed like Rhyno's back was stretched beyond its limit. "Show no Mercier! Rhyno's tapping! Andy did it! Andy beat the odds!" Andy pushed Rhyno away and stood to his feet. He retrieved his title and a microphone as his music played. He panted heavily for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Well, Shinsuke, I win. I get to pick the stipulation for our match. So what's it going to be? A hardcore match? Ladder match? Hell in a Cell? Knockout in a cage? Maybe one of us has a hand ties behind their back." Andy hesitated for a second before continuing. "No. I've thought about this a lot and I know what I want. Shinsuke, in Japan you were the man I had to beat, and I never could on my own. I was never on equal ground with you, even though we both held a single title that was very definitive of who we were... Shinsuke, the stipulation for our match is one you know well. We had it in Japan, under the same circumstances. I was champion. You wanted the title, and you claimed something I wanted. Shinsuke Nakamura, at Money in the Bank, it will be the title of the NXT Championship versus the title... of King of Strong Style in an all or nothing match!" The crowds roar became deafening at these words as these words as Andy dropped his mic. Shinsuke came out onto the ramp nodding, and NXT faded with the two staring at one another.

Andy walked through the Smackdown hallways chewing on a piece of gum with Brianna close behind him. "I was worried about you. You weren't showing for Smackdown and everyone was talking about how you were running yourself into the ground." Andy shrugged in response as he continued walking.

"It's not the first time I've done it. I would've kept it up too if it hadn't been for Bayley. She says good luck with Sasha by the way." He replied. Brianna smiled and nodded.

"Tell her I said thank you."

"What am I, the mail boy?" Andy asked jokingly as they turned a corner. Jordan and Becky stood with each other talking. "Hey! Hardcore Jordan!" Jordan looked up and smiled as he saw his friend approaching him. "How are you doing muppet?"

"Hey, it's the Strong Style Wanker!" Jordan returned jokingly, drawing a dark look from his friend and laughs from the two women wrestlers. "How are you doing mate? You look a lot better than you did a couple of weeks ago on NXT." Andy nodded in response as he blew a bubble before popping it.

"Was working myself to death. I'm sure you've heard the story." Jordan nodded before Andy frowned. "So this match with Owens this sunday." Jordan shook his head and lifted his hand to stop Andy.

"There's no reason to try. I'm not getting talked out of it."

"I've tried all week." Becky added.

"You're going to get hurt mate." Andy stated seriously. Jordan grimaced in response.

"I don't care. He's attacked you and me for months. He tried to put me out with a chair before our match. But above all else, he shoved and threatened Becky. He crossed the line and there's no going back. I am going to get hurt Sunday. But he's going to get hurt worse." Andy frowned as he thought about Jordan's words before placing a hand on the taller man's shoulder.

"If you need me, I'm on standby." Jordan nodded.

"Good luck out there tonight." Andy smiled at his friend.

"You too mate." With that, Andy and Brianna left the other two behind to get to the gorilla position. Enzo went through his entrance with Sasha Banks going to commentary. After Enzo had made it clear he was a certified G, called Andy Soft and then spelled it out for him as SAWFT, Crown of Thorns played and Andy exited to the ramp to the delight of the crowd. He dropped to one knee and shot at Enzo before walking down the ramp. He paused at the end to lift his arms before jumping on the apron. He climbed the turnbuckle and did his hanging draw as Brianna also went to commentary before he dropped into the ring. He tossed his shirt and bandanna to the crowd before staring across the ring at Enzo.

"Enzo Amore versus Andy Mercier here tonight, and we have Sasha Banks and Brianna Kelly on commentary with us. Welcome ladies." Michael Cole announced.

"I'm glad to be here to see Enzo make it where I can get rid of this poser." Sasha returned happily, causing Brianna to shoot a glare at her from the opposite side of the table.

"And I'm happy to watch as our match at Sunday become a ladder match so I can show the WWE Universe that the Boss really isn't that much of a Boss." She shot back.

"In case those of you watching at home don't know," Jerry Lawler spoke, "if Enzo wins this match then if Brianna loses this sunday, she loses the title and cannot appear on the main rosters. If Andy wins, their match becomes a ladder match for the Women's championship." The bell rang and Enzo and Andy sprang forward to lock up. Andy gained the upper hand, arm dragging his opponent to the mat before dropping his knee to his arm. Andy was quick to his feet, kicking his opponent in the gut, forcing him to sit up before Kneeing him in the face. Enzo dropped to the mat and Andy dropped a knee onto his face.

"You see that, Sasha? That what you have to look forward to." Brianna spoke on commentary as Andy bounded Enzo off the ropes before ramming his knee into his gut.

"Please. The only thing I'm looking forward to is driving my knees into you. Again." Andy reached down to pick Enzo up, but Enzo punched him in the face. Enzo got up and delivered a few punches to his opponents face before clotheslining him to the mat. He kicked Andy in the ribs before dragging him to his feet. He threw Andy into the ropes, and when he came back he caught him in a hurricanrana. Enzo leaped to his feet and called out to the fans, causing them to cheer. Andy got back to his feet, but was hit with a dropkick that sent him stumbling back and falling down to the canvas. Enzo walked to Andy and picked him up before delivering a strike to the face. Andy responded by ramming his forearm into Enzo's face multiple time. Andy grabbed him by the back of the head before ramming his knee into enzo's face multiple times. With Enzo dazed, Andy bounced off the ropes before hitting a sling blade.

"I could pull one of those out for the win, Sasha." Sasha scoffed at the words.

"Or I could put you in the Banks Statement and make you tap."

"Tap? You mean like I made you tap for the title to begin with?" Brianna retorted.

"You got lucky." Andy climbed the turnbuckle and went for a Coup De Grace before pinning Enzo. He only got a two count before the man kicked out. Andy went to pick Enzo up, but the man broke his hold and kicked him in the gut. Enzo hit the ropes before hitting Andy with a running Crossbody. Enzo climbed the ropes and waiting for Andy to get up before hitting him with a diving DDT.

"Enzo with the G-DDT!" Cole cried out. Enzo began climbing up the turnbuckle again. "Is he going for it? He is! Air Enzo!" Cole called as Enzo hit a diving splash on his opponent.

"So much for your hopes and dreams." Sasha spoke as Enzo went for the pin fall, but Andy kicked out at two.

"Oh. Maybe not Ms. Boss!"

"You know what? I'm just about tired of you talking crap." Sasha stated as she stood up, taking off her headset.

"Oh yeah? Then do something about it." Brianna retorted as she copied the actions.

"Now ladies, let's not do anything-" Jerry was interrupted as the two female wrestlers leaped at each other and began violently punching each other on the announce table. Inside the ring, Enzo sat on his knees, leaned against the as he yelled at Sasha. A sudden Kinshasa to the back of the head knocked him to the ground, and Andy picked up a three count off of it. Crown of Thorns played as Andy slid from the ring to where the two women now fought on the ground.

"These two are going at it right here in front of us! And their match at Money in the Bank is now a ladder match!"

"Yeah! They jumped right over us! And, if you think about it, the move that Andy used is definitely a call out to his opponent, Shinsuke Nakamura, saying that he wants to be the only King of Strong Style!"

"Stay tuned folks, Smackdown will be right back after we've restored order to ringside." Smackdown went to commercial as officials rushed out to separate the two female wrestlers. Backstage, Jordan remained with Becky Lynch.

"You're going to be careful out there, aren't you?" Becky questioned as Jordan did some shadow boxing off to the side of the gorilla position.

"Of course. I'll just have to watch my back. My true threat isn't across the ring from me. It's in my corner." Becky bit her bottom lip before speaking again.

"Do you want me to have Andy wait right here? Just in case?" Jordan stopped what he was doing and thought about before shaking his head.

"No. Andy's got enough on his mind. Besides, I can't rely on him to come running down the ramp to save me. I need to do this on my own. And I think he, above anyone else, knows what that's like right now." Becky nodded in response.

"Just be careful, okay?" She spoke as Kevin Owens walked past them.

"Becky. Dead meat."

"Bastard." Jordan shot back, causing Kevin to laugh as his music played. He made his entrance and Jordan looked at Becky before giving her a nod. Then, Riot played and he was out of the curtain, standing in the dark. When the lights rose, he stood with his title high and a focused look on his face. He came down to his knee with a "One man enters and one man leaves!" Yell before walking down the ramp. He paused at the end of the ramp and looked at the camera before jumping onto the apron. He ran the ropes and threw his shirt to the fans before entering the ring. He glared at Owens and kept an eye on him through his peripheral as the Hype Bros made thir entrance. Zack Ryder would start the match. Owens stared at Jordan before pointing to the apron.

"I'm starting this!" He yelled. Jordan shrugged and made his way to the apron.

"However you want it, wanker."

"I don't know how these two are going to get along in this match." Cole stated unto his headset.

"I don't either. They have too much bad blood between them." Jerry returned. The bell rang and the two legal men walked forward. Zack went for a lock up, but Owens kicked him in the gut. Kevin slapped the doubled over man in the face before dropping him to the mat with a nasty DDT. Owens slapped the man in the back of the head multiple times as he yelled at him, Jordan shaking his head in disgust on the apron. Owens picked his opponent up and threw him into the corner. Owens rushed after him, but Zack countered with a double high knee. Owens stumbled around and Zack hit him with a Bulldog. He dropped down on Owens with an elbow drop. Dragging Owens to his feet, he threw him into his corner before slamming into him with a forearm before tagging in his partner, Mojo Rawley. Mojo quickly entered the ring. Zack held Owens in place and moved to the side to allow his partner to hit him with a stinger splash. Owens stumbled out and Mojo went to Irish whip him. Owens reversed and through him to the opposite corner. Owens slammed his shoulder into his abdomen and held him there as he called to Jordan.

"Come on! Tag in!" He screamed angrily. Jordan begrudgingly reached over and tagged Owens back before entering the ring and striking Mojo in the face.

"Jordan hesitant to tag in there." Owens stepped out on the apron. Jordan delivered a few shot to Mojo's abdomen before stepping away. Mojo stumbled out and Jordan hit him with an uppercut that caused him to fall onto the ropes. Jordan made to grab the man, but he kicked Jordan in the gut. He blew past Jordan and Irish whipped him into the ropes. When Jordan came back, he was hit with a hip attack. Jordan dropped to the mat and Mojo made a dash to tag his partner in. Zack jumped into the ring and hit Jordan with another elbow drop. He picked Jordan up and Irish whipped his opponent into the corner. Zack leaped through the air with a drop kick that dropped Jordan into a sitting position. Ryder moved to the center of the ring before setting up and hitting the Broski boot. Jordan rolled out of the corner and Zack went to the top rope. He launched himself through the air with a diving elbow drop. "Elbro Drop! Ryder going for the cover!" Jordan was able to get his shoulder up at two. Ryder went to his corner and made a tag. Mojo went to the top rope and jumped when Jordan was able to find his way to his feet. Jordan caught him on his shoulders and delivered a power bomb.

"My God what a Tea Time!" Cole cried as Jordan fell to the mat. Jordan and Mojo slowly crawled across the canvas to their partners who readily had their hands out. They reached their partners at the same time. Mojo got a tag. Owens withdrew his hand and dropped to the ground from the apron.

"What are you doing!?" Jordan called.

"And you had to know this was coming, King." Cole spoke as Zack grabbed Jordan's foot and pulled him away from the ropes. Jordan twisted before pulling the man down into a Hell's Gate.

"Bloody Hell! Zack is tapping!" Riot played as Jordan tried to quickly get to his feet. His efforts were in vain as Owens slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He was forced to his feet before being bounced off the ropes and hit with a pop up Powerbomb. Owens stared down at his body before yelling.

"This Sunday, Sterling! I'm breaking your neck!" Smackdown went to commercial as Owens exited the ring to his music.

After the show, Andy sat on a crate backstage in his street clothes, moving his leg back and forth to test his knee, when Brianna approached him. "Hey Andy." She called, causing him to raise his head and waved at her. "You know Jordan got power bombed by Kevin?" Andy sighed with a shrug before he jumped off the crate.

"He sent me a text after my match. It said that, no matter what happened, he needs to take care of this on his own. And I understand. I'm in the same boat." Brianna nodded before speaking again.

"So, I'm going to Hawaii after Money in the Bank to visit with my family, and I wanted to know if, maybe... you'd like to come? So that my family can meet the guy that's made sure I'm being treated as a real wrestler?" Andy clicked his tongue at the question and titled his head as he thought.

"Sure. I don't see why not."

"Mahalo." She returned with a smile, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Thank you."

"Sure."

Andy bounced up and down by the gorilla position. Sunday had arrived quicker than Andy would have honestly liked it to, and Shinsuke was already making his way to the ring. "Andy!" A voice called out, and he watched as Bayley ran up to him.

"Hey. What're you doing here?"

"I couldn't miss your match with Shinsuke!" She replied as she smiled. "And I wanted to wish you luck out there. So.. good luck." Andy smiled at Bayley as she smiled at him.

"Thank you." Bayley bounded forward and hugged Andy. It took the wrestler by surprise, but he hugged her back. They released each other and Bayley looked away before backing away with a wave. Andy smiled after her. Then, his face took on a serious expression as the crowd screamed, signaling that the lights had been cut. Then, his distorted voice spoke out over the arenas speakers. "There are monsters in this world that have climbed from the depths of hell to claim a throne as King. There's no turning back, Shinsuke Nakamura! Offer your soul! And I will show you... the greatest Nightmare." Andy's Nightmare Crown of Thorns played as he the lights raised and he sat on two knees. He rose with his arms outstretched, letting the crowd see his demonic knight like paint and silver gear with its logos before he grabbed his title and dragged it down the ramp like a corpse. He paused at the end and crouched, looking left to "Strong!" The right to "Style!" Before he walked to the apron. He bit the end of the strap and climbed the ropes like he normally did in his paint, pausing in between the top and middle rope before going to climb the turnbuckle and doing his hanging draw with the belt still in his mouth. He jumped into the ring and crawled in his Spiderman pose before coming to his feet and handing the title to the referee as his music ended. The referee held the NXT Championship high before walking across the ring and handing it to an official. The referee returned to the center of the ring before calling for the bell. Andy and Shinsuke darted put of their corner. Andy aimed a kick for Shinsuke's head, but he ducked down and struck for Andy's legs. Andy jumped over his leg and went to knee him in the face. Shinsuke bent back, letting the knee sail past him before Kneeing for Andy's abdomen. Andy dodged to the side before dragging Shinsuke into a headlock. Shinsuke broke free and Irish whipped Andy into the ropes. Andy bounced back and rolled along the mat to avoid what could have been a lethal kick before popping up to his feet. Andy went for a spinning heel kick, but Shinsuke caught his foot and went for a strike to the skull. Andy dodged away and wrenched his foot free. Shinsuke went for a kick to his side, but Andy caught it between his arm and abdomen. Shinsuke dropped to his back and kicked Andy in the side of the skull. Andy stumbled and Shinsuke was quick to plant his knee in his gut. Andy doubled over and a knee to the face caused him to fall backwards. Shinsuke pulled him to his feet, Kneeing him in the face three times before throwing him into the ropes. Andy rebounded and ducked under a kick before coming back with a knee to Shinsuke's gut. Andy grabbed the man by his neck and spun him around, dropping to the mate with him. Andy was quick to his feet, dropping an elbow down onto Shinsuke's face. The man rolled away at the move, and as he stood to his feet, and hit the ropes and springboarded off, kicking his opponent in the face. Shinsuke fell backward and and stomped his gut. Shinsuke arched his back as Andy delivered a swift kick. Andy hit the ropes and went for a shining wizard, but Shinsuke dropped to his back, letting the other wrestler fly over him before getting to his feet. As Andy made to get up, Shinsuke dropkicked him the side of the face, making him fall sideways.

Shinsuke drug Andy up and Irish whipped him into the corner. Shinsuke followed suit and slammed his knee into Andy's gut, causing him to follow into a sitting position. Andy's head whipped back and slammed into the turnbuckle as Shinsuke slammed his knee into his head with full force. Andy rolled out of the corner holding his head before Shinsuke pulled him to his feet he threw him to the ropes again, but as Andy came back, he launched himself through the air and hit Shinsuke with a Sling blade. The wrestlers hit the mat before Andy climbed the turnbuckle and hit his opponent with a Coup De Grace. Andy went for the cover, but only got a one. Andy shook his head and dropped another knee into Shinsuke's face. The champion rubbed his painted face. Shinsuke bounded off of the mat suddenly, surprising Andy as he caught him with an exploding suplex. Andy rolled onto his stomach, and Shinsuke hit him with a knee drop. Shinsuke reached down and picked his opponent up before hitting him with a double knee back breaker. Shinsuke went for the cover, but Andy kicked out at two. Shinsuke pulled Andy to his feet before kicking him in the gut. Shinsuke hit the ropes and came back toward Andy, but the champion quickly pulled him on his shoulders for a Go 2 Sleep. "Ride the Mercier! Andy going for the cover!" Shinsuke kicked out at two, and Andy looked around, biting the inside of his cheek.

Andy reached down and pulled his opponent to his feet, hitting him with a swift kick to the skull. Shinsuke stumbled to the side and Andy went for another kick. Shinsuke caught his leg before jerking forward with it and slamming Andy's face into his knee. Andy hit the mat and Shinsuke dropped another knee on him before pulling him to his feet. Andy was Irish whipped into the corner and Shinsuke flew through the air with his knees. Andy dodged to the side and Shinsuke slammed into the turnbuckle. He stumbled backward and was lifted onto Andy's shoulders in a torture rack style before Andy hit an inverted Go 2 Sleep. "Now an inverted Ride the Mercier! Another cover!" Again, Andy got a near fall. He checked with the referee to make sure it was a two count. Shaking his head, he pulled Shinsuke to his feet and pulled him on his shoulders for another Go 2 Sleep. Shinsuke slipped off his back after fighting, however. And kicked the back of Andy's knee before hitting a violent Kinshasa to the back of the skull. "Kinshasa! NXT could have a new champion!"

"No! Andy got the shoulder up!" Andy and Shinsuke lay side by side on the ground before Shinsuke fought to his feet. Shinsuke connected with multiple kicks to the side of the head before dragging Andy to his feet before maneuvering Andy and hitting him with a double underhook piledriver. He went for another pin, but Andy kicked out. Shinsuke reached down and picked his opponent up and Irish whipped him toward the ropes. Andy held onto Shinsuke's arm, and used it to swing around behind him before hitting him with a backbreaker of his own. Andy transitioned into a crossface and pulled back hard on his opponent. Shinsuke screamed in pain. "Show no Mercier! Will Shinsuke Nakamura tap here?" Shinsuke fought against the hold and was eventually able to roll out of the hold. Andy stumbled forward on his knees and was hit with another Kinshasa as the announcers and fans cried out at the impact. Shinsuke slowly covered, but Andy forced his way out at two. Shinsuke looked at the referee in shock. He pulled Andy to his feet and dragged him to the corner. Setting up on the second rope, he hit Andy with a Samoan Driver. He went for the pin and the announcers cried out in shock as the referees hand hit the mat three times. But the referee called no as Andy got his foot on the bottom rope before three. Shinsuke looked at the referee in disbelief. He pulled Andy to his feet by the sides of his head before Andy struck out with a headbutt. With Shinsuke off balance, Andy turned around before hitting Shinsuke with an Asai DDT before going for the pin. "Shades of the Ultimo Dragon! But it's still not enough." Andy pounded the mat as visible tears filled his eyes.

"This is really getting to Andy here folks."

"Oh yeah, right now he's asking himself, what do I have to do to put Shinsuke away."

"You can see the doubt in his eyes. I think Andy is asking himself if he even has what it takes to beat Shinsuke." Andy stumbled to his feet and used the rope for support as he pointed his hand like a gun at Shinsuke with at yell of "Shot down!" He rushed for a Kinshasa, but Shinsuke fell down, making Andy miss. Andy spun around and dodged a yakuza kick. Shinsuke came to his knees and was hit with a Frankensteiner Driver. His body went up straight as Andy bounced off the ropes and hit him in the back of the head with a Kinshasa.

"Andy's Out!" King called as Andy got the three count and Crown of Thorns played. "And he does it!"

"Here is your winner, and STILL the NXT Champion, the King of Strong Style, Andy Mercier!" Andy lay in the ring beside Shinsuke as the referee tried to stir him. Andy shook his head as he slowly his feet, taking his title. He vacated the ring and walked up the ramp with a look of disbelief on his face as he touched hands with the fans. Reaching the top of the ramp, and turned around with his title held high, a smile on his face and more obvious tears.

"I did it!"

Brianna took a deep breath as she bounced up and down. Andy and Shinsuke were both in the trainers room getting their heads checked after so many blows to them. Sasha was on her way to the ring. As her music faded away, Meteor played and she exited through the curtains. She wore her typical entrance gear with her reflective mask. She made her way down the ramp and paused at the end, removing her mask to reveal a smile as she looked around the ring at the ladders that now surrounded it. She entered the ring, removing the gear she didn't need before handing it to an official. She held her title high as she and Sasha got face to face, to the crowds elation, before the referee broke them apart. Once they were a good distance, the referee called for the bell. Sasha quickly exited the ring and Brianna followed closely after. Sasha tries to break down one of the ladders, Brianna slammed into her. Sasha's face bounced off of the ladder before Brianna pulled her back by her hair and slammed the back of her head into the rings apron. As Sasha proped herself up on the apron, Brianna grabbed the ladder and smashed it into her side, causing her to cry out, before sliding it into the ring. Brianna grabbed her opponent, but Sasha broke free, grabbing Brianna by her hair and slamming her face into the announce table. Sasha slammed her face into the table two more times before finally releasing her. Sasha made herself to the side of the ring and grabbed a second ladder, sliding it into the ring. Sasha began setting it up, lining it up underneath the title that hung high in the air. As she turned, Brianna slammed into her with a forearm. Brianna picked her up before hitting her with and spinning heel kick. Sasha hit the mat and Brianna retrieved the first ladder. As Sasha made her way to her feet, the ladder slammed into her, knocking her back down before Brianna traveled to the corner and wedged the ladder onto the second rope. She turned and was hit with a flying double knee that knocked her back into the ladder. Brianna fell forward on the canvas.

Sasha picked her up by her hair before slapping her in the face. Brianna was kneed in the abdomen before Sasha bounded off the ropes. As she returned, she was hit with a flying hip attack that knocked her on her back. Brianna gave a war cry and pulled her opponent to her feet. Brianna bounded off the ropes and hit Sasha with a running single leg dropkick. Brianna made to pick Sasha up again, but Sasha punched her in the face. Sasha kneed her opponent, forcing her to stumble back into the ropes. Sasha rushed Brianna, but the champion grabbed her leg and sent her over the ropes. Sasha crashed to ringside and Brianna exited the ring. She picked Sasha up, but the challenger kicked her legs out from underneath her, forcing her to crash face first onto the announce table. Sasha grabbed Brianna by her shoulders before hitting her with a back breaker. Sasha made her way to the final ladder standing on the outside and took it down before placing one end on the apron, and the other on the barricade. Nodding her head in approval, she turned and made her way back to Brianna. "I don't like this. There are ladders everywhere!" Picking her up, she threw the champion into the ring and followed after her. Sasha drew Brianna up and hit her with a knee to the face before placing her on top of the ladder sitting in the corner.

"Don't tell me she's going to do what I think she is!" With Brianna set up, Sasha hit her with her signature double knees. Brianna rolled off the ladder holding her stomach and back as Sasha stared down at her with a smirk. Sasha made her way to the ladder and began climbing. Brianna forced her way to her feet and followed up after her. The two female wrestlers fought back and forth, punching each other in the face. Sasha was forced down a few steps before she reached around, grabbing Brianna's ring gear and jumping. Brianna crashed into the mat and Sasha sat on her knees, holding her ankle. She slowly rose up and limped back to the ladder, slowly climbing it. Once she had reached the top, however, Brianna had already found her feet again. The champion rushed forward and pushed the ladder.

"Oh no! Look out!" Sasha fell from the ladder, landing on the one she had set up on the apron and barricade with a sickening sound. Brianna fell to one knee before pulling the ladder off the ropes where it had fallen. Brianna climbed the ladder before swinging her legs on either side and sitting at the top. She stared down at the still unmoving Sasha before placing her hands over her face and moving her head back and and forth, being copied by the crowd. Then, she reached up and unstrapped her belt as the bell rang. The crowd cheered loudly as Meteor began playing.

"Here is your winner, and STILL the WWE Women's Champion, Brianna Kelly!"

"She did it! Brianna did it!"

"I think Brianna proved without a shadow of a doubt tonight that even the 'faceless' can overcome the 'Boss'." Brianna pointed her hand like a gun from her perch atop the ladder, Shooting at the camera as she held her title with a smile. As Andy appeared on the top of the stage, she pointed the hand at him, and he returned it before clapping for his protégé.

Backstage, Jordan leaned against a wall with his arms cross and his head leaned back against the bricks. "Are you okay?" A voice questioned, causing him to open his eyes. He forced a smile for Becky.

"Of course."

"You're lying." Becky responded in a very deadpanned tone. "I really wish you weren't about to do what you are. But I know I can't stop you." Becky fidgeted for a moment before she reached up and removed her goggles from her head. She reached forward and placed them on top of Jordan's head, to his surprise. "Take these with you. That way you know I want you to win and that no matter what happens out there, just know that you're the real winner to me." Jordan was dumbfounded for a moment before he gave a true smile to Becky.

"Thank you." Becky returned Jordan's smiled. She made to walk away but paused. She spun around and stood on her tiptoes, kissing Jordan quickly. He stood in shock as she shyly walked away. "Come back to me."

"Always." Jordan replied with a large smile. Kevin Owens music caught his attention. He made his way to the gorilla position and watched a monitor as Owens walked down the ramp to the ring with a chair in hand. Jordan smiled devilishly as he finished his entrance. The lights cut out as Riot began playing, the fans crying out with elation. When they returned, the crowds cheers grew as Jordan was already at the end of the ramp with a grocery basket filled with lethal looking weapons. Jordan reached into the basket and removed a steel chair of his own before entering the ring. The two bitter enemies stood across from each other as Jordan handed his title and Becky's goggles off to the referee. The referee held the title high for the crowd. He handed the title to an official before returning to his spot in the ring. The bell rang and the two combatants to rushing each other, smashing their chairs into one another's shoulder. Owens dodged out of the way of Jordan's next shot before sticking his chair in the Champions abdomen. Jordan was forced to double over and Owens smacked his chair into the dark skinned man's back. Jordan came down onto both knees and the chair cracked over his skull. Jordan crashed into the mat and Owens unloaded multiple chair shots to his abdomen. Owens threw his chair down before sliding out of the ring. Owens reached under the ring and produced a table before sliding back in. He propped the table up in the corner and turned around to a vicious chair shot to the skull. Kevin went down to one knee before another chair shot laid him out on his back. Jordan threw the chair down into Owens face before he exited the ring. He went to his basket and produced a kendo stick before returning to the ring. As Owens found his way to his feet, Jordan cracked his weapon over his opponents back. Kevin launched to his feet with his back arched before the kendo stick bounced off his head. Jordan launched into a flurry of strikes with the weapon. Owens fell to the mat and grabbed one of the chairs. He used it as a shield before smacking Jordan over the head with it.

Jordan fell to the ground before rolling out of the ring. Owens followed after him and made for another chair shot. Jordan dodged to the side, letting it smack into the steel stairs before he grabbed Owens by the back of his head and rammed it into the same stairs. Jordan made his way to the apron and produced another table, setting it up parallel to the apron. He reached into his cart and produced two items, pouring gasoline on the wood before setting it alight. "Oh my god, he just set that table on fire! Somebody put that out!" Jordan turned and had a chair rammed into his gut. Owens threw his opponent into the ring before coming to the apron. Jordan bounded across the ring, spearing his opponent through the ropes and into the flaming table. "No! They both just went through that table! They're trying to kill each other!" Neither man hardly stirred before Jordan slowly rose to his feet. He tried to pull Owens to his feet, but Owens delivered a low blow out of instinct, causing him to fall over. Owens picked him up by the back of the head and threw him into the ring before going to Jordan's cart and removing a bat wrapped in barbed wire. The crowd went wild as he slid into the ring with it. As Jordan came to his knees, Owens wrapped his arm around Jordan's throat before placing the barbed wire at his nose and racking it up his face, immediately drawing blood.

Jordan hit the match, screaming in pain as Owens dropped the bat. The man retrieved one of the two chairs and wedged it between the top and middle rope before picking Jordan up to his feet. Quickly, Owens rammed his opponent headfirst into the chair. Jordan fell onto his back as Owens retrieved the other chair. He rammed it into Jordan's throat multiple times before opening it and placing it around the man's neck. Without even thinking about it, Owens made his way up to the top rope. "No! No! He's really trying to break his neck!" Owens jumped off the turnbuckle and slammed his foot into the legs of the chair, causing Jordan to thrash violently in the ring. Owens pulled him from the mat and placed him against the propped up table. Owens went to the center of the ring before rushing his opponent. Jordan dodged out of the way and Owens barely stopped himself from going through the table. As he turned around, he was speared through a table for a second time. Jordan slowly crawled across the mat as Owens painfully climbed to his feet. He stumbled across the mat and made a grab for Jordan's leg. Jordan jerked away, flipping onto his back, planting the barbed wire in the top of his skull before yanking it forward, ripping Owens skin open. The man fell to his knees, bleeding profusely as Jordan traveled to the corner. He retrieved a chain that had been hiding in the apron before walking back to Owens. Kicking the man on his back, Jordan wrapped the chain around his throat before sitting on him like a Camel clutch.

"He's literally choking the life out Owens!" Owens reached around the mat before his hand found the handle of the baseball bat. He swung up with it, sticking it in Jordan's shoulder and forcing him to release his hold. Owens stumbled to his feet as he choked for breath. Meanwhile, Jordan was forced to rip the barbed wire out of his arm with an agonizing scream. Owens grabbed him and whipped him into the ropes. Jordan barely dodged to the side as Owens tried to catch him in a pop up Powerbomb. Owens spun around and was hit with a third spear. Owens hit the mat, and Jordan landed with his arm on top of him. "My God, another M16! And it's over! Thank God it's over!"

"Here is your winner, and STILL the United States Champion, Jordan Sterling!" Riot played and the referee urgently urged for help. Andy, Bayley, Brianna and Becky rushed down the ramp as the unresponsive forms of Kevin and Jordan were placed onto gurneys. The arena was solemnly quite as they were wheeled away while Becky placed Jordan's title and her goggles on his chest. Then, they gave a deafening roar as Jordan raised his arm as high in the air as he could. The pay per view faded to commercial with Michael Cole promising those watching at home that they would be kept up to date about Kevin Owens and Jordan Sterling's conditions.

XXX

Whew! I'm done! My thumbs hurt! This chapter was like two chapters rolled into one! I think this is the longest one yet now! Till next time!


	18. Chapter 18

Blitzkrieg 18.0

Andy bit the inside of his cheek as he and Brianna drove up to her family house in Hawaii. The car was parked and the two exited the vehicle. "I'm having second thoughts about this." Andy stated seriously as he saw the multiple figures standing at the top of a hill. Brianna laughed at him as she closed her door.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine. Just, cover up your accent. My dad doesn't like people from the UK."

"What!?"

"I'm kidding!" Brianna called over her shoulder with a laugh. Andy sent a dark look at her back as they drew nearer to the house. A man opened his arms out and Brianna took off in a sprint to hug him as they began talking. Andy dragged behind so he only caught the tail end of the conversation. "-missed you so much!" Brianna turned and waved for Andy to come closer, which he did with a half smile and a short wave. "Everyone, this is Andy Degray, aka Andy Mercier. He's the one I was telling you all about that's been training me."

The man Brianna had hugged walked toward Andy, making him fidget as he put his hands on his shoulders. He inspected Andy's face before smiling and laughing. "Brianna speaks highly of you! I can't thank you enough for helping her reach her dream! It's all she's ever wanted!" The man hugged Andy, causing him to look to Brianna with a frightened face. She mouthed 'hug him' and Andy awkwardly reached around to Pat the man's back.

"There... there?" Brianna coughed into her hand to stifle a laugh as the man released Andy before she spoke again.

"Andy, this is my ohana. Steve McGarrett, leader of the Hawaii Five 0 Task Force, Danny Williams Second in command of the Hawaii Five 0 Task Force, Kono Kalakaua-Noshimuri officer of the Honolulu Police Department and member of the Hawaii Five 0 Task Force, Lou Grover former Captain of the HPD Swat Team and current member of the Hawaii Five 0 Task Force, Max Bergman my childhood friend and Coroner for the city of Honolulu, Jerry Ortega my best friend slash honorary uncle the consultant for the Hawaii Five 0 Task Force." The group spoke in unison as they said aloha, to which Andy waved. "The woman next to him is my mother Alyssa Gage-Kelly and the man who hugged you is my father, Chin Ho Kelly, Lieutenant for the Hawaii Five 0 Task Force."

Andy looked to the man before shaking his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir."

"The pleasure is all mine with how you've helped my baby. So, Andy, have you ever visited Hawaii before?" Andy shook his head with a sheepish smile.

"No, but I did watch a few episodes of Lilo and Stitch with my younger cousin." Chin did not seem amused.

"Was that supposed to be funny?" He questioned as Andy began fidgeting again.

"Well, it was in my head, but now that I've said it..." Chin roared with laughter, slapping Andy hard on the shoulder and causing him to wince.

"You're too serious! Lighten up a little bit. Please, come into my home!" The large extended family began entering the house with Andy lingering behind to level Brianna with a stare.

"I'm having second thoughts about this." Brianna rolled her eyes with a smile.

"You'll be fine." Andy followed her into the air and watched as Alyssa came over with a small child, handing her to Brianna, who smiled brightly. "Andy, this is my baby sister, Melanie Rose Kelly." Andy reached out as Brianna handed the baby to him. He smiled brightly as he found her to be wearing a cartoonish onesie of his Nightmare paint and white baby socks.

"Is this official WWE merchandise?" He questioned as he never really checked into it, only wearing the shirts that were presented to him and he liked. Brianna nodded in response.

"I saw it at one of the Smackdown shows before the fans got in and I thought it was adorable so I had to get it for her." Andy laughed as he rocked the baby.

"How old is she?"

"Six months." Alyssa answered with a shake of her head. "And shes already following in her sisters footsteps. She knows when wrestling is on and has to be staring at it on the screen. She always makes cute noises when you or Brianna are on." Andy smiled down at the baby as she pushed her small index finger into his cheek and giggled.

"Maybe when she gets older I can train her so I can be two and zero for the Kelly family." Brianna laughed at his words but her mother gave him a stern look.

"Oh no. That one right there worried me enough with this wrestling business. One is quite enough." Andy chuckled in response and wagged his finger in front of the baby's face.

"Oh, please mom? Think about it, from Honolulu Hawaii, accompanied by Andy Mercier, The Kelly Sisters!" Alyssa leveled Brianna with a stare as she did her best to imitate an announcers voice. Chin laughed as he walked forward, patting a chuckling Andy on the shoulder and rubbing his baby daughter's head.

"You know we'll support her in whatever she wants to do. Just like we did you."

"Welcome everybody to NXT!" Phillips voice happily called.

"And if you missed Sunday's Money in the Bank, you missed out on an incredible match between Andy Mercier and Shinsuke Nakamura!" Corey tacked on.

"Oh, it was so amazing! The two Kings of Strong Style battling for the right to be the sole owner of that phrase, and of course, to be the NXT Champion." Crown of Thorns played after Phillips words and the fans roared in approval.

"Well there's Andy's music, but where's Andy?" Corey spoke as the fans began a chant of 'King of Strong Style!'. The crowd leapt to their feet as Andy appeared on top of the stage wearing his black vest, black cargo pants and black combat boots holding the vest closed. He made a small circle before facing the fans and jerking the vest open to reveal his title and a black muscle shirt that read 'My Strong Style is Bulletproof'. The crowd got louder and Andy smiled with a nod. He walked down the ramp, touching Too Sweet hand signs with the fans before he climbed the stairs and entered the ring. He grabbed a microphone and walked to the center of the ring. He raised his mic as his music ended. "We did it." He stated simply as the fans cheered with approval.

"I've spent years and years trying to prove that I am finally on equal ground with Shinsuke Nakamura. I've spent years trying to prove that I am just as good, if not better... than the man who taught me Strong Style wrestling. When we fought in Japan I always had help, I could never beat him. I'm not proud of it, but I don't hide it." The fans began a chant of 'We forgive it' causing Andy to chuckle. "You know, I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Shinsuke has more clean victories over than I have unclean ones over him. So I spent the weeks leading up to Money in the Bank training. Running myself into the ground. People had to intervene just to keep me from killing myself in the training arena. Because I knew, if I didn't reach down deep inside of myself and find that extra burst I've never had before, that I wouldn't be walking away from the pay per view as the winner. But..." Andy reached around and unstrapped his title before lifting it high with a proud look on his face. "I did it. I finally did it. After years of forcing my way up the ladder to prove myself his equal, I beat Shinsuke Nakamura. Clean." The crowd cheered again as they clapped.

"So the big question now is, what comes next? Who's the next NXT superstar that's going to step up and challenge me for my championship? I'll be honest with you all, I don't rightly know myself. But I can promise that whoever it is, they're sitting in the back right now. They're wanting to stake their claim for the title. And I say, whoever steps up next, I'm ready." The fans began at these words, and then cheered louder as the Hype Bros music played and Zack Ryder made his way down the ring. He climbed in as Andy looked at him with skepticism. "Can I help you, Zack?"

"Well, you're sitting out here talking about who's going to challenge you next." Zack responded after had had grabbed a microphone. "And I'm here to tell you that... you're looking at him bro." Andy stared at the wrestler before giving him a smile.

"I respect you Zack. I respect what you stand for. I respect how you connect with the fans. But I also respect the ideal that there is a time and place for everybody, and this isn't yours. You have a tag team and, if I were you, I would consider sticking with your partner." Andy lowered his mic and made to exit the ring, but Zack grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

"Don't walk away. Listen, Andy, I get why you wouldn't want to defend against me. I've never been on the same level as you are right now. But give me this opportunity. I work just as hard as anyone else in that locker room. I love this company just as much as anyone else. You don't understand. I need this." Andy stood still as he contemplated the man's words before he lifted his microphone again.

"When it boils down to it, there are a lot of guys in the back who have proven themselves each and every week in single competition while you've been tagging with Mojo Rawley. I'm sorry, but the answer, is no." Andy dropped his mic and vacated the ring before making his way up the ramp as Zack dishearteningly called after him.

Later during the night, Andy walked through the hallways, finishing as he taped his hands. "Hey!" He paused and turned around to find Bayley approaching him. He smiled as she drew near.

"Hey Bayley. What're you up to?" Andy asked.

"I just wanted to see you before you went out there." Bayley returned with a smile as she bounced slightly. "And to tell you how awesome your match with Shinsuke was."

"You've said that multiple times." Andy spoke with a chuckle.

"It was amazing though!" Bayley exclaimed in defense. Andy chuckled at her enthusiasm. "It was almost like a dream come true to see you two battle it out live." Bayley paused before looking at him sheepishly. "You know who might be a good challenger for the title after Shinsuke..?"

"Please don't say Zack Ryder."

"Come on, Andy. I know where he's coming from when nobody sees you as a real competitor! I'm sure Brianna will too!"

"I'm sure she will." Andy replied with a grimace. "And I understand his plight. But the fact of the matter is, he hasn't earned a shot at the title. NXT is a proving ground, and he's proven to be a good tag team competitor with Mojo. If I were him, I'd be challenging the tag team champions. Not me." Bayley sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I understand. Just... give it a little more thought, ok? Don't just completely dismiss it. Zack is a hard worker and he might just surprise you. Anyway, I'll see you later, right?"

"Of course. Laser tag?" Bayley laughed and patted the side of his cheek.

"In your dreams." Andy stuck his tongue out at her.

"You're just a sore loser." Andy made his way to the gorilla position at these words and rolled his shoulder as he came to a stop, his opponent making his entrance. It was Heath Slater. After Andy's showing at Money in the Bank he had begged William Regal to let him face Andy on the idea that if he could beat the NXT Champion he would surely get a contract with Raw or Smackdown. Crown of Thorns began and Andy went through the curtains wearing his plain black gear and his leather Mercier Club jacket. He made a small circle before jerking the jacket open to reveal his title. He came down to one knee and felt the ground before slapping it and jumping to his feet with a shout of 'Strong Style Shooter!' Before making his way down the ramp. He leaped onto the apron and paused there, staring out at the crowd before climbing the turnbuckle and doing his hanging draw. He unstrapped his belt and dropped into the ring, removing his jacket, before handing both items to an official outside. He bounced in place as he stared across the ring at Slater before the bell rang. The two shot out of their corners and began circling one another. They locked up before Andy hip tossed his opponent to the mat, placing him in a headlock. Heath elbowed at him, and Andy released him before standing to his feet with a grimace. Heath stood up and went for a punch to his face, but Andy threw his arm away before Kneeing him in the gut. Heath doubled over and Andy delivered a swift knee to his skull that sent him back to the mat. Andy went for a quick cover, but Heath got his shoulder up at two. Andy got to his feet and pulled Heath up before the man slapped him in the face. Andy's head whipped to the side and he ran his tongue along the bottom lip, tasting blood. He looked at Heath, who had his hands out in front of him as he repeatedly said 'I'm sorry!'. Andy lashed out with a kick that sent his opponent to his knees before hitting Slater with a Frankensteiner Driver. Heath Slater's body shot up as Andy bounced off the ropes before hitting a Kinshasa.

"Andy's Out! I'll be honest, I feel a little bad for Heath here." Phillips commented as Andy stared down at the man. He pulled his bottom lip down and looked around at the crowd, who cheered as the blood was obvious enough to be seen. Reaching down, Andy pulled Heath to his feet before pulling him to his shoulders and nailing him with his knee. "Ride the Mercier! Andy obviously tired of disrespect here tonight."

"Can you blame him? He beats Shinsuke Nakamura and then Slater slaps him in the face?" Andy stood in the ring with his hands on his hips, shaking his head, as he looked down at his opponent. The referee squatted down to check on him, and Andy felt impact on the right side of his face. Andy's head whipped to the side and he stumbled into the ropes as Zack Ryder slid from the ring with a chain wrapped around his knuckles. Andy shook his head and pushed off the ropes. Slater caught him in a lifting DDT before covering and getting the three count. Slater's music played and he stumbled to his knees with a dazed and disbelieving look.

"Oh my god! What an upset victory! And Heath owes it all to Zack Ryder!" Zack reentered the ring and dropped his chain by Andy's downed form as the wrestler felt at his head.

"I'm sorry." Zack spoke to the man as NXT faded from the air.

Backstage, Andy walked angrily with his teeth clenched. "Have you seen Zack?" Andy questioned an official who shook his head in terror. "No? What about you? Have you seen Zack? Who saw where Zack went?"

"Andy!" The wrestler turned around to find Bayley hurriedly approaching him. "Calm down. I know you're mad, but Zack is just trying to get you to see him as a serious contender."

"Are you defending him?" Andy questioned. "He just punched me in the face with a chain, Bayley. That goes beyond being a competitor. That's assault."

"No, I'm not defending him, and you're right, but don't do anything to him outside of the ring. If you're going to retaliate, do it like you always have. In the ring." Andy stood still, breathing heavily as Bayley reached forward to rub his shoulder. "Please?" Andy gave a brief nod and Bayley released a relieved smile. "Thank you."

Jordan walked onto the top of Smackdown's ramp as the show opened. The crowd cheered wildly with a chant of 'You're hardcore!' As Riot played. Jordan smiled as he leaned heavily on Becky Lynch, who held the United States Championship for him. He limped down the ramp, putting as much weight as he could on Becky while touching hands with the fans. He slowly climbed the steel stairs and Becky held the ropes open so that he could easily enter the ring. He limped to the center of the ring and Becky retrieved a microphone. She handed it to Jordan as the fans chanted 'Jordan's hardcore! Hardcore Jordan!'. "You know, I read a lot of things on the Internet about how I wouldn't be here tonight." Jordan spoke in a raspy voice, as if his throat was hurting him. "So I thought to myself, well I definitely have to show up then. But you know who's not here?" Jordan chuckled as the crowd gave their response. "That's right. Kevin Owens isn't here tonight. He's at home, recovering. Meanwhile, I'm standing here with stitches in my head and my body feeling like it's about to collapse. And I couldn't be happier, because at Money in the Bank, I won the title... and the woman." Jordan paused and Becky kissed him on the cheek to the elation of the crowd who went wild. Jordan smiled brightly. "The pain that I endured was well worth it, and I'm glad that I finally, finally, put Owens-" Jordan stopped midsentence as Cesaro walked down the ramp with his music blaring. He slid into the ring and Becky helped Jordan turn to face him.

"That's nice." He spoke as he looked at the United States Champion as he looked at him from behind sunglasses while holding a Money in the Bank briefcase. "Meanwhile, I went on to do something more worthwhile and won the Money in the Bank ladder match. And even though it's normally used on the top championship... what's stopping me from using it to put an end to your happy story?" Cesaro stepped forward imposingly and Becky stepped in front of Jordan, putting her hand up as she tried to talk the man out of it. Cesaro smirked and raised his microphone again. "I'd be such a waste of the briefcase, but it'd be worth it to wipe your luck from the board. As a matter of fact..." Cesaro looked at his brief case as if contemplating. Then, Crown of Thorns played as the fans leaped to their feet in delight. Andy made his way down the ramp and slid into the ring before coming nose to nose with Cesaro who backed away.

"I had a funny feeling that some wanker would try something on me tonight." Jordan spoke again with a smirk as he leaned on Becky again with Andy guarding him. "So I brought backup to make sure no one drags out my recovery any longer than it has to be." Cesaro looked back and forth between Jordan Andy and Andy, who was motioning for him to 'Come on' Before slowly exiting the ring. Andy smirked at him and Smackdown went to commercial as Cesaro backed up the ramp while calling 'Another time!'.

When Smackdown returned, Paige was entering the ring before snatching a microphone from an official. She motioned for her music to be cut before speaking. "So, I want to start off by saying congratulations to Brianna for beating Sasha Banks." The crowd cheered as Paige nodded with a smile. "Yeah, give it up! In fact, I think her family's in the crowd tonight! Can... can we get a camera on them?" Brianna's family was shown on the Titantron with her little sister wearing her Andy Mercier onesie and the rest wearing a plethora of shirts ranging from a 'Faceless Domination' with Brianna's mask to My Strong Style/ skull is bulletproof to Ride the Mercier to 'The champion of the faceless'.

"Yeah, hi. You all must be so proud of Brianna!" It was here that Paige's smile slipped into a frown. "You must also be sad knowing that her fifteen minutes of fame isn't going to last. I know that you don't get it, because you're from Hawaii where you welcome every two bit performer with open arms, but this is MY house. And unlike you all, I don't have room in MY house for some faceless wannabe." Paige smirked as she received dark looks from Brianna's family before Meteor played and the fans cheered loudly. Brianna marched to the ring and slid in before snatching the mix from Paige who backed away with a life while retrieving another one.

"Who do you think you are?" Brianna questioned angrily. "I'm sorry to tell you, Paige, but it's YOUR fifteen minutes of fame that has come and gone! It's not quite your house anymore, since you're not the champion, now is it?" Paige glared at the red headed woman.

"Oh, that's right, you're the champion. You know it totally slipped my mind. But something seems to have slipped yours too. Before you were even signed to the WWE, I won the Diva's Championship on my main roster debut from the longest reigning Diva's Champion, AJ Lee!" Brianna smiled at the words.

"I'd totally forgot. Hey, tell me what it was like to be the Diva's Champion? I wouldn't know because I am the WOMEN'S Champion. Because I am a WOMAN wrestler. Not a diva." The two women got in one another's face, exchanging words. Paige broke away with an angry stare.

"Since you're so confident, you should be confident enough to put the title on the line. Against me. At, say, Battleground."

"I've beaten you in this ring once Paige. I'd be happy to do it again." Paige nodded with a smirk as Brianna dropped her mic before holding her title high. Paige pointed to the belt before pointing to herself.

"It's going to be mine!" Smackdown faded to commercial on the two having a stare down.

XXX

Wrap! Had to get the next feuds set up to move forward.


	19. Chapter 19

Blitzkrieg 19.0

NXT opened with Zack Ryder standing in the middle of the ring with a microphone in his hand. He looked left and right as the crowd chanted 'Why Zack why?' Causing him to grimace. "Look bros, I didn't want to do what I did." The wrestler spoke with one arm outstretched and guilt evident in his voice. "I really didn't. But... I had to make a statement! Last week Andy stood in this ring and talked about how there was a superstar ready to stake his claim first the title. And last week I did! So how about it, bro? Have I made you realize that I should be the next number one contender for the title?" Zack lowered his mic and waited patiently until Crown of Thorns played and Andy made himself known on the top of the stage with a microphone.

"It's become a routine." Andy stated with a scowl. "For me to get in the ring and wrestle only for people who have no business in my match to stick their nose where it doesn't belong. Last week, you interfered in my match and cost me. On top of that, you did it with a chain. Congratulations muppet, you almost cracked my skull with a chain. Are you really willing to go that far... just to get a shot at me? Well, mate?"

"Bro... I'm willing to do whatever it takes to finally get the chance to prove myself. Just like you told Finn Balor when you got here, I had to make a statement! It was business, there was nothing personal about it. Am I number one contender material now? What do you say, bro? You and me?" Andy stood still for a moment before answering.

"I say... no." He responded causing Zack to yell at him. "I'm not going to throw title shots around at anybody who comes out here and attacks me. That's not how this works. You prove yourself for a title shot. But, Zack, if you really want to fight me, I really don't mind coming down there and knocking your head off." The crowd cheered loudly as Andy began to walk down the ramp.

"Woah, woah! I have a match tonight! I'm not going to fight with you until you give me my title shot. But if you're really that willing, my bro Mojo doesn't have a match tonight and he'd be more than willing to fight you." Andy slid into the ring, causing Zack to quickly exit and rush up the ramp. "No! Not tonight bro! Not tonight!" Andy leaned on the top rope, yelling at Zack as he quickly made his way to the backstage area.

Andy sat on a crate in the backstage area, looking left and right for any signs of Zack. "Hey, Andy!" The King of Strong Style took a deep breath and smiled softly as Bayley approached him.

"Hey Bayley. You heading to the ring?"

"Yeah, in a few minutes." She replied with a nod. "You look like you're on edge. Is it Zack?" Andy bit the inside of his cheek before nodding.

"Yeah. I know you think I should give him a chance, but with the way that wankers acting right now, I wouldn't give him the time of day." Bayley nodded solemnly at his words.

"I understand. I really don't know what's going on with him. He's always been this really nice guy. So upbeat. But lately there's just been something changing in him. Andy, he's been in WWE for a while and he's never made it to that top tier level. I know, at the very least, he's angry that you just came in and did it. That isn't an excuse, but I figure that's part of the reason."

"It doesn't matter." Andy spoke as he shook his head. "I respect Zack. But if he keeps going about things the way he is, then it's not going to be good. If he wants a sho1t at the title, all he has to do is prove himself. That's all I ask." Bayley nodded.

"Agreed. That's what he should be doing instead of trying to bait you in to it. Anyway, it's about that time. I'll talk to you later." Andy nodded and slid off the crate before wrapping his arms around Bayley. She stood still with a shocked look before returning the hug with a large smile.

"Be careful out there."

"That's my line." Bayley responded jokingly as she made her way through the hallways. Andy watched her leave before going to the men's locker room and getting changed for his match. He did a few Martial arts routines before walking back through the halls and to the gorilla position. Mojo Rawley was in the ring, waiting for him. Crown of Thorns played again and Andy went through the curtain. He wore his plain white gear with black knee pads and his Nightmare long sleeve shirt and bandanna. He came down to both knees and pointed skyward before lowering his hands like guns shooting at Mojo. He jumped to his feet with his cry of "Strong Style Shooter!" Before walking down the ramp. He paused at the end and crouched, pulling his bandanna down. He removed it and tossed it to the crowd before jumping to the apron. He hesitated for a second, looking at the crowd, before climbing the turnbuckle for his hanging draw before he unstrapped his belt and tossed his shirt to the crowd. Then, he dropped to the ring and handed his title off to an official. As Crown of Thorns died away, he stared across the ring at Mojo. Then, the bell rang. Mojo and Andy began circling each other before locking up. Mojo lashed out with a kicked to the side before slamming his elbow into the side of Andy's head. He bounced off the ropes and went for a running hip attack, but Andy ducked down. Mojo came back around and was hit with a yakuza kick. Mojo hit the mat and Andy was quickly on him with a headlock. Mojo fought out before delivering an elbow to his gut. He went to knee Andy in the gace, but the champion shoved his knee away before Leaping into the air with an Enzuigiri. Mojo dropped to the mat, and when he was getting to his feet Andy went for a shining wizard. Mojo was barely able to dodge before dropkicking his opponent in the back. Andy stumbled into the corner and when he turned around, he was hit with a stinger splash. Andy held his ribs and he slowly stepped forward. Mojo grabbed his arm and Irish whipped him into the opposite corner before hitting another stinger splash. He bounded off the ropes as Andy stumbled forward again before hitting the champion with a flying hip attack.

Andy hit the mat before he was Irish whipped into the ropes. Andy hung onto the top rope and as Mojo came down after a failed hip attack, he was hit with a backbreaker. Andy went for the cover, but his opponent got his shoulder up at two. Andy reached down, pulling Mojo to his feet by the back of his head. He kneed him in the face before Irish whipping him into the ropes. When he came back, Andy hit him with a dropkick. Mojo hit the mat and Andy dropped a knee down onto his face. Mojo held his face as he rolled away. Andy quickly pulled him to his feet before bounding off the ropes. He went for another Yakuza kick, but Mojo dodged to the side, and the referee was accidentally hit with it instead. Andy looked at the downed official and tried to rouse him. He felt hands pull him to his feet by his shoulders, and he hit Pele kick to his opponent. Mojo fell to his knee and Andy caught him with a Kinshasa. He shook his head and turned the referee, only for a steel chair to crash into his face. Zack Ryder stared down at him with the chair in hand.

"Oh come on, what's he doing out here!?" Phillips cried out as Ryder placed the chair on Andy's chest before climbing the turnbuckle.

"Making a statement to the champion!" Corey responded as Ryder launched off the ropes with an elbow drop. "Elbro Drop!" Zack stood up holding his arm before grabbing Mojo and dragging him on top of Andy. He observed his handy work with an expression of guilt as the crowd booed before he shook the referee and exited the ring. The referee slowly made the three count before calling for the bell as the Hype Bros music played.

"And Zack Ryder costing Andy Mercier another victory here tonight!"

"Maybe if Andy would give him what he wants he wouldn't be in this position." Corey shot back as Zack made his way up the ramp. "Tune in next week to see how this all plays out! Goodnight from NXT!"

Andy walked out of the trainers room in cargo pants and combat boots. He held his head with one hand, a tee shirt with the other and his ribs were heavily taped. "Andy! Oh my god, are you ok!?" Bayley questioned in horror as she came bounding from a chair across the hall. Before he could respond, Bayley had his head in her hand and was rotating it as if she were checking every inch. "I can't believe Zack did that to you! He's lost his mind." Andy winced as she touched his taped ribs. "I'm sorry!"

"No, it's fine." Andy responded with a wave of his hand. He made to put his shirt on and Bayley helped him. "I don't know what's gotten into that muppet, but he's playing with fire. And I'm about to burn him."

"What did the trainer say?" Bayley questioned as he winced again as he moved.

"I'm not cleared to compete next week. He says that I have to recover." Bayley nodded with a grimace.

"I'm sorry Andy. I can't believe he did this. I was sure he'd be done after you said no again. Are... are you okay to drive?" Andy shook his head with a grimace.

"I don't think so."

"I can drive you." Andy nodded as he followed her through the halls. "We'll come back by tomorrow and pick your car up."

"Sounds like a plan.".

Jordan painfully rolled his neck as he sat backstage at Smackdown. Becky walked toward him with a water bottle and handed it to him. He took it with a smile. "Thanks sweetheart." He spoke before taking a drink.

"You're welcome." She replied as she took a seat next to him and carefully observed his stitches. He was doing better than he had been the week before, but he was nowhere near one hundred percent. "You need to let me clean your stitches again." Jordan playfully swatted her away.

"You worry too much." Jordan shot back, causing her to give him a dark stare.

"Do you want to end up like Andy with a concussion?" Jordan thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. If that wankers hard ass head can get a concussion, I really don't want to know what you can do to me." Becky smiled cheekily and patted him on the side of the face.

"I'm going to go get some supplies from the trainer. I'll be back in a minute." Jordan nodded as she walked away before the sound of the monitor drew his attention to it. Cesaro was standing in the middle of the ring and he had just grabbed a microphone. He stared at the camera before talking.

"Jordan, I know you're back there. I want to make something clear. I don't plan on using this Money in the Bank briefcase on your title. But, that title does play a big part in my plans. You see, I'm going become the United States Champion, and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. I know you're a fighting champion, and I know you like a good fight. You have to be to be crazy enough to go into a hardcore match with Kevin Owens. My question to you is, are you ready for the challenge of me?" There was a pause and the fans waited in anticipation before Riot played and Jordan limped out onto the top of the stage.

"Cesaro, I'm always ready for a fight." Jordan shot back causing the fans to cheer heavily. "And I respect you for everything you've accomplished up until this point. Unfortunately I'm not cleared to fight right now. Fortunately, I will be by the time Battleground comes around. MY question to YOU is what comes out of this match for me when you already have the Money in the Bank contract?" Cesaro smiled at this question and raised his briefcase high in the air.

"I'm confident in my abilities. I'm willing to put my Money in the Bank briefcase up against your United States championship." Jordan stood still before nodding his head.

"Deal. I look forward to fighting you, Cesaro."

"And I look forward to beating you." Cesaro returned with a wink and a smile.

"Cesaro versus Jordan at Battleground!?" Cole called in shock as the show went to commercial.

"You couldn't dot still for one minute, could you?" Becky questioned Jordan who smiled sheepishly.

Brianna took a deep breath as she stood near the gorilla position. "Hey WhatCulture!" She heard a familiar voice and spun with a smile on her face as she found Andy walking towards her.

"Hey Andy! What are you doing here!?" Brianna exclaimed as she leaned leveled him with an accusatory stare. "You're not cleared to fight. You're supposed to be getting better."

"That doesn't mean I can't accompany my protégé to the ring." Andy shot back. Brianna scowled at him for a second before smiling.

"I won't argue with you there." She replied before her music began playing. She walked out to the ring, keeping her eyes on her opponent, Alexa Bliss. She made her way into the ring as Andy walked to the announce table. Brianna handed her title off to an official and her music ended before the referee called for the bell.

"Welcome back to Smackdown Andy." Cole spoke as Brianna and Alexa locked up.

"Happy to be here." Alexa kicked Brianna in the leg before grabbing her hair and slamming her head into the back of the mat. Brianna attempted to get to her feet, but a kick to her gut kept her grounded. Alexa pulled her up and threw her into the ropes. Brianna sailed across the ring, hitting her opponent with a flying hip attack.

"So, Andy, you've been having a string of bad luck on NXT with Zack Ryder attacking you." Andy shook his head at the statement.

"Let's focus more on this match, and not on what's happening between me and Ryder on NXT." Brianna picked Alexa up and delivered a forearm to the face before Irish whipping her to the corner. Brianna followed after and hit a running forearm to the face. Alexa stumbled out of the corner and Brianna dropkicked her into a sitting position. Rolling back to her feet, Brianna rushed forward again and hit another dropkick. Brianna climbed the ropes and pointed at Andy before going for a Coup De Grace. Alexa rolled out of the way and when Brianna landed, Alexa caught her with a leg sweep.

"Brianna going for one of your moves there Andy."

"Yeah. When it hits, the Coup De Grace can be devastating. But when you miss, it's a drag. Especially because when you miss you normally tweak your knee." Andy returned, speaking from experience. Alexa dragged her opponent and threw her into the ropes. When she came back, Alexa caught her with a Chokehold STO. Alexa stood to her feet before performing a standing Moonsault double knee drop.

"Oh! Insult to injury!" Alexa went for the cover, but Brianna was able to force her arm out at two. Alexa kicked her in the face angrily before climbing the ropes. "This could be it here, Andy." Andy shrugged at the statement and watched as Alexa went for a Twisted Bliss, only for Brianna to roll out of the way. When Alexa stood to her feet, Brianna caught her with a backbreaker before transitioning it into a crossface.

"Sweet Sacrifice! And Alexa has no choice but to tap to it!" The bell rang as Meteor played and Andy left the commentators before entering the ring. Brianna and Andy touched their hands together with the Too Sweet gesture before Meteor became Paige's theme song. The former Diva's Champion stepped out onto the stage with a microphone in her hand, mock clapping.

"Congratulations, Brianna. You really impressed me." Brianna frowned at the sarcasm in her voice, but a hand on her shoulder from Andy kept her from doing anything. "I just wanted to come out to remind you... that this is still MY house, and I run it." With these words, Alexa slammed into Brianna from behind. Paige laughed at the scene, and Smackdown bled to commercial as Andy tried to tear the female wrestlers away from one another without hurting either of them.

XXX

Wrap! I am so tired guys. And sick. Anyway, a few more chapters and we'll get to something that not even ThatKiddJordy or RebeccaJoleneAumanWilson, my main idea bouncers, knows is coming!


	20. Chapter 20

Blitzkrieg 20.0

Zack Ryder stood in the middle of the NXT ring, cringing as the fans booed him. "Look bros, I don't like what I've been doing anymore than you do!" Zack called, somewhat angrily, but with a guilty undertone. "You've all been with me for a while. I picked most of you up on a YouTube video because I wasn't being given the chance to prove myself in this ring. Andy, it's finally my time to prove myself. All I need is one simple word from you. Yes. That's all I need so that I can fight you for your championship. Give me this. You don't know how much it means to me! You don't understand how much I need this! What do I have to do to get you to give me a title shot!?" Zack lowered his microphone and stared angrily into the camera. Crown of Thorns entered the arena and Andy walked onto the stage with his hair slicked back like it normally was, a 'My Strong Style is Bulletproof' shirt, his Mercier Club leather jacket, black cargo pants and black combat boots. He already held a mic in his hand as he leveled Zack with a glare.

"Zack, there's proving you deserve something, and then there's trying to force your way to something you want. You keep coming out here, whining, to get a title shot. A title shot that you haven't earned. And when I say no, you interfere in my match with a weapon. Last week you gave me a minor concussion and I'm not even cleared to compete tonight." The crowd booed loudly at these words. "What makes you think, for one second, that just because you planted a chair over my head that I'm going to give you a title shot? The answer... is no. It was no two weeks ago. It was no last week. It's a no tonight. It'll be a no until you prove yourself. And it's unfortunate that I haven't had the time to find a number one contender, because of you, when our next Takeover event is a little over a week away." Andy lowered his mic and Zack clenched jaw and shut his eyes before he snapped out in anger.

"I will do whatever it takes to fight you. I will put my career on the line to fight for that championship! Fight me Andy, and if I lose I'll disappear. Give this to me. I need it!"

"Are you really that desperate that you would put everything on the line for a shot you could have earned time and again by now!?"

"I'm desperate to do whatever I have to bro! And if you say no, I'll just keep coming after you with whatever I get my hands on!"

"Is that a threat!?" Andy spoke angrily.

"That's a promise!" Zack barked in return. The crowd began a chant of 'Do it!' And Andy nodded.

"Alright then, Zack. I'll fight you for the title. And if you lose, you disappear mate. I hope that whatever happens, you end up realizing how much of a muppet you are." The crowd cheered before William Regal appeared in his office on the Titantron.

"Gentlemen, I'm glad you were able to come to an agreement without me having to step in. However, seeing as Andy was preoccupied, I've already chosen a number one contender for the next NXT Takeover event. And that man is... Sami Zayne." There was a small cheer at these words and Regal nodded his head. "Far be it for me to take away what the fans want though. Next week, live on NXT, Andy Mercier will face Zack Ryder in a title for career match. The winner will go on to face Sami at the pay per view. Andy, I trust that you'll take care of yourself until then." With that, Regal faded from the titantron, leaving Andy and Zack to stare one another down as the show faded to commercial.

Backstage, Andy walked through the hallways while rotating his shoulder. He smiled as he walked toward Bayley. "Hey, Bayley." The female wrestler glanced over her shoulder before smiling.

"Hey Andy." She returned as she turned around. "So... Zack's putting his career on the line, huh?" Andy frowned and gave a sigh before nodding.

"The muppet has lost his mind, Bayley. I wish I could just ignore him and let the problem fix itself, but it's obvious that it won't." Bayley nodded in response as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Andy refused to meet her stare, and Bayley reached up and placed a hand on his cheek.

"I know that when he first asked for this match that I was kind of behind him. But listen to me Andy, you can't save everybody. Zack is a good guy but he's gone off the deep end and I don't see anyway to even remotely bringing him back without this match happening. Andy, whatever happens... no one will blame you. Zack did it to himself." Andy nodded with a grimace.

"That doesn't mean that I like the idea of fighting with somebody's dream on the line. You have to work day in and day out to get to the WWE. You have to give up your life to live your dream. Everybody that has been here, it was their dream at some point to be a wrestler. Zack dreamed of being a wrestler. And I might me the one to end that dream now."

"It would have happened either way. If you hadn't agreed, then Zack more than likely would have went to Mr. Regal and put out that same challenge with his career. I don't know why he's doing what he is, but at this point it just looks inevitable." Andy grimaced at the words.

"I don't want to crush somebody else's dreams, Bayley." She nodded and pulled him into a solemn hug.

"I know. But this isn't just Zack's dream. It's your dream too. You have to give this match your all or it might be your dream getting crushed." Andy stared at the wall behind Bayley as she hugged him tighter.

Jordan jumped back and forth behind the gorilla position with a smile on his face. Even though he still wasn't one hundred percent he had finally been cleared to compete. "And don't do anything stupid. Watch out for your head. I swear, if you let your head get smacked around too much then I'm going to smack you around." Jordan gave a bigger smile as Becky worried over him.

"I'll be fine. I promise." Becky leveled him with a disbelieving stare.

"You better be. I'll show you why I'm the Lass Kicker is you aren't after you conned the trainer into clearing you." Jordan grinned cheekily as his opponent, Jack Swagger, made his way down to the ring. Becky gave a nervous sigh before reaching up and kissing Jordan on the cheek. "Please be safe for me." Jordan winked at her.

"I'll be right back." Riot began playing and Jordan walked out into the darkness as the crowd roared. When the lights rose and Jordan stood on the ramp with his title held high and a focused look on his face, their noise became deafening. Jordan gave off a smirk before he came to one knee with his "One man enters and one man leaves!" Shout, which the crowd echoed. Jordan walked down the ramp and paused at the end. He bent to stare at the camera before jumping on the apron. He ran the ropes and threw his shirt to the crowd before entering the ring. The referee took his title and handed it to someone at ringside before returning to his position. Riot died away and the referee called for the bell. Jordan and Swagger locked up and broke apart when neither got the upper hand. They locked back up before Jordan was kicked in the gut. Jordan doubled over and Swagger elbowed him in the back of the neck. Jack threw Jordan into the ropes, and when he came back went for a big boot. Jack ducked down underneath it and rebounded off the opposite side of the ring. Jack hit the ground with a running elbow to the face. Jordan quickly covered the man's body with his own and began delivering knee to the top of his skull. He moved away at the referees directions and went to pull Swagger to his feet. Swagger punched him in the jaw and launched him into the corner before following after. A big boot made Jordan's head whip backward. He feel to his knees and Jack kicked him the chest, making him fall back into the turnbuckle. Swagger went for a running knee to the head, but Jordan dodged out of the corner and elbowed Swagger in the back of the neck. Jordan unleashed a flurry of strikes to Jack's head before turning him around in the corner and punching at the man's abdomen. Jordan stepped back a few feet before rushing forward and slamming his elbow into Swaggers face. Jack stumbled out of the corner before being hit with a vicious uppercut.

Swagger fell back into a sitting position where Jordan delivered stiff shots to his head. Jack bent forward and Jordan stomped on his back, making him thrash put of the corner. Jordan roared at the crowd, who roared back at him. He made his way to the corner and stalked Swagger. When he got to his hands and knees, he went for a punt kick, but Swagger jumped up and slid around him. He grabbed Jordan's ankle and tried to pull him from his feet as he locked in an Ankle Lock. "Swagger looking for the Patriot Lock here!" Jordan spun and fell to his back, grabbing Jack by the back of the head and reversing his ankle lock into a Hell's Gate. "Bloody Hell! Jordan got out of the Patriot Lock! Swaggers fighting, he's fighting it! But it's too much! Swagger is tapping!" Riot played as Jordan pushed Jack away and stood to his feet. He felt the top of his head and retrieved his United States championship. He paused up looked up to the ramp as Cesaro walked out to his music with a smile on his face.

"You see, Jordan, this is why I respect you." Cesaro spoke as he waved his hand. "Even though you're not one hundred percent, you're still looking for a fight. I can't wait to step into that ring with you, because you will be the stepping stone that I use to pull myself out of this middle tier I've been stuck in for years. Make sure you're one hundred percent for Battleground. I don't want anybody to have any excuses." Cesaro smiled down at the ring again and then made his way backstage.

Jordan walked through the halls, holding the top of his head. He needed to get some ice. He rounded a corner to head to the trainers room and smiled slightly as he ran into Andy's protégé. "Hey Brianna. Where's Andy?" Brianna stopped walking and waved his way.

"Hey Jordan. Andy's not here." Jordan scrunched his eyebrows together at this.

"Why not?"

"Have you not talked to him?" Brianna asked in surprise. Jordan simply shook his head.

"I haven't gotten the chance to, mate." He spoke.

"William Regal told him he couldn't be here tonight. He has to be at one hundred percent for his title matches next week." Jordan nodded at this.

"That makes sense. I'll see you around." Brianna waved to Jordan as he resumed his track to the trainers room and she made her way to the gorilla position. She waited until Meteor played before she broke through the curtains to the fans cheers with a smile. She began making her way down the ramp when someone grabbed her by her hair and slammed her into the barricade between the fans and the ramp. She held her head as Paige stood over her. She grabbed Brianna by her hair and yanked her up to her feet before dropping her with a Ram-Paige. Brianna's head bounced off the metal of the ramp and she laid on it, dazed. Paige smirked as she outstretched her arms.

"What happened Brianna!?" The dark headed woman screamed. "That's what happens when you step in MY house! I put you in your place! Don't you ever-" Paige was interrupted as Becky Lynch slammed into her and they rolled down the ramp. Paige pulled at the female wrestlers hair while Becky punched at her sides and face.

"Becky apparently having had enough of her former partners attitude her tonight." Michael Cole spoke from the two continued to fight with one another Paige was eventually able to force Becky away by raking her nails across her face. Paige stumbled to her feet and quickly began backing away from her former partner. A hand spun her around and Brianna kicked her in the gut before hitting her with a lifting single underhook DDT.

"Oh, and the Kelly Maneuver!" Jerry Lawler yelled as Brianna stood tall over her challenger. Becky joined her at her side. The two gave one another a one armed hug as Brianna held her title high in the air and Paige slowly moved onto her side to feel her head. Smackdown went to commercial with Becky and Brianna talking to one another as Paige tried to recover from her dazed state.

XXX

Wrap! Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that I read everyone of your reviews and take them into serious consideration. In a way, you guys are my crowd. The end goal right now is NOT to turn Andy heel. However, there will come a time where Andy is considered the bad guy. It's unfortunate but it's wrestling. Can he be considered a tweener when it happens? Possibly. But will Andy do some heelish thing? Definitely. I hope you guys are willing to stick with me through it because, as wrestling does, it's only temporary. And it allows me to put Andy in some situations he wouldn't be in otherwise.

With that being said, Wow! Twenty chapters! This has quickly become my longest multichapter story of all time. Maybe it's because I just really enjoy it. I've never written a fanfiction like this and I'm just... happy with it. Anyway, until the next chapter guys!


	21. Chapter 21

Blitzkrieg 21.0

Andy walked into the NXT arena wearing a New Japan tee shirt, blue jeans and converse, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He gave a sigh as he noticed Renee Young quickly approaching him from the right. "Excuse me Andy, do you have a minute?" He paused in his walk and looked to her before giving her a half hearted smile.

"Sure. What can I do for you?" Renee smiled at him.

"Tonight you're facing Zack Ryder in a title defense, and if you win you'll go on to face Sami Zayne at Takeover, in what Mr. William Regal has revealed will now be a ladder match. Can you give us any insight as to how you're feeling right now, and what's playing through your head?"

"Zack Ryder has... snapped." Andy responded after a pause. "I don't want to face someone with their dream on the line. The fact of the matter is, Zack just pushed too hard. You know, he wants to run into the ring while I'm wrestling and hit me with chains and chairs. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to pull some under handed trick tonight. I support everyone's dream. But tonight, I'll be crushing someones. As for Sami, that's at Takeover. I've fought Sami Zayne three times to date and I've beaten him every time. If he wants to beat me at Takeover, especially with it now being a ladder match, then he's going to have to dig down deeper than he ever has." Renee nodded at the words.

"Well, thank you for your time Andy." He gave her a smile and began his track to the men's locker room.

"Until next time." He called over his shoulder with a wave. He found his destination and quickly set about getting ready. He rolled his neck as NXT approached it's main event. An official poked his head through the door and called for him. Andy stood to his feet and made his way through the hallways to the gorilla position. Zack Ryder made his entrance with his old theme song, receiving a lot of boos from the fans and 'You sold out!' Chants, much to his ire. Then, the lights turned dark and the fans cheered loudly as Andy's distorted voice rang out through the arena. "There are monsters in this world that devour others dream. There's no turning back Zack Ryder! Offer your soul! And I will show you... the greatest Nightmare." Andy's Nightmare Crown of Thorns played as the lights raised to show Andy Kneeling on both knees. He slowly stood with his arms outstretched wearing his typical nightmare paint and his silver ring gear. He walked down the ramp while dragging his title like a corpse, pausing to crouch at the end of the ramp. He bit the strap of his title before climbing the ropes as he normally did, hanging for a second before pulling his feet to the apron. He climbed the turnbuckle and did his hanging draw before dropping into the ring and crawling in his Spiderman pose. He popped up as his music ended and handed his title to the referee. The official raised it high for the fans before handing it off to someone outside. He returned to his spot and called for the bell. Zack darted out of his corner while Andy remained in place. Zack zigzaged back and forth as Andy shook his head. Zack stopped and outstretched his arms with an offended look before Andy finally stepped out of his corner. He went to lock up with his opponent, but Zack slapped him in the face. Andy's head whipped to the side and anger welled in his chest. He lashed out with a violent kick to the leg before Kneeing Zack in the gut. Zack doubled over before Andy launched into a serious of knees and elbows to the head. Zack fell to his knees, dazed, and Andy bounced off the ropes before coming back for a shining wizard. Zack dodged down and jumped to his feet before delivering a dropkick to Andy's back. The champion stumbled forward into the ropes, and when he turned around his opponent hit him with a big boot. Andy's head whipped back and he stumbled out in a DDT. Andy held his head and Zack dropped to his knees to punch his opponent in the face multiple times. Andy shoved him away and moved to his feet. Zack rushed at the champion only for Andy to Japanese arm drag him to the ground. Andy was quick to his feet before dropping a knee to Zack's face. Zack rolled away and Andy stood to his feet with a shake of his head. He reached down and dragged Zack up. He held him by the back of the head and yelled at the man before Zack struck out, slapping him again. Andy licked his bottom lip before returning the slap.

Zack went down to one knee and Andy kneed him in the face. Zack stared up at the ceiling before Andy stomped on his chest. Andy pulled Zack up and Zack raked his eyes. Andy stumbled to the side and Zack followed after him, hitting him with a Bulldog. Andy felt at his face and Zack stomped the mat waiting for him. When Andy stood up, he was hit with a Rough Ryder as the announcers cried out. Zack stared down at Andy before climbing the turnbuckle. "Zack trying to put Andy away, to keep his career and claim the NXT Championship!" Zack launched through the air before landing on Andy with an elbow drop. "Elbro Drop that could be it!" Zack went for the cover but Andy got his shoulder up at two. Zack yelled angrily at the referee as he stood to his feet with the official defending his decision. Zack spun around and pulled Andy to his feet before launching him across the ring and directly into the referee. "Oh come on! That was an accident!" Phillips called as the official hit the mat with Andy and Zack slid from the ring. Zack drug a chair from under the apron before returning to the ring. The crowd cried out in objection as Andy got to his feet. Zack launched it at Andy, who caught it just before it hit his face. Zack caught him with another Rough Ryder, this time with the chair.

"That's strategy! His career is on the line!" Corey called as Zack threw the chair from the ring. He shook the referee and covered Andy. The official began the three count, but Andy was still able to get his shoulder up at two. The referee fell back in a sitting position in the corner as Zack launched himself to his feet, screaming at the referee with his face red in anger. With him distracted, Andy stumbled to his feet and wrapped his arms over his chest in an X before hitting him with a straight jacket back breaker and Bridging into a crossface.

"Show no Mercier! Zack's tapping!" Phillips cried in disbelief as Andy kicked Zack away from him. Andy rolled to his feet to retrieve his title as Crown of Thorns played before staring at Zack in disgust. Crown of Thorns faded into Sami Zayne's theme as he stepped out onto the ramp. Andy looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Andy, I'm glad you won that match." Sami spoke into a microphone. "It's unfortunate with the circumstances, but you're the one I want to fight. You've beaten me three times. At Takeover, with that title on the line, it's finally my time to shine. I'll see you then." Andy nodded in response as he held his title high. Sami smirked at him as NXT faded from the air.

"Congratulations on the title win!" A familiar voice called as Andy sat on a crate in the hallways. He wore his black cargo pants and black combat boots. His shirt was laying on the crate next to him as he felt his ribs. He looked up to see a man approach him. Andy jumped off of the crate immediately as he came near.

"Mr. Levesque, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here tonight." Andy spoke as the man known as Triple H smiled.

"Andy, I've told you before, call me Hunter." Andy nodded as Hunter indicated for him to take his seat back on the crate. Andy did so, pulling his shirt on as Hunter took a seat beside him. "So, I've been watching you rather closely out there. You put on a good show."

"Just trying to give the fans what they want." Andy replied simply as Hunter chuckled.

"Don't be so modest. On a regular night, you're amazing. The fans love you. But when it comes to a title match, you're always putting on one of the best shows on the card. Everyone in upper management is impressed. Me, Steph, Vince and Shane. What I'm getting to, is after Takeover and Battleground this weekend, we want to move you up to the main roster. How would you feel about that?" Andy sat in shock for a moment before speaking.

"I haven't been in NXT for that long. But if you think that I'm ready to move up, then who am I to argue with You? You're Triple H." Hunter smirked at these words before standing up from the crate and placing a hand on the man's shoulder.

"That's the attitude to have. I like you, kid. You definitely know how to play the game." Andy chuckled at the man's joke. "We definitely think it's best for business, so after next week, you'll be on the main roster. We're expecting great things from you." Triple H patted Andy on the shoulder before making his way to his next destination. Andy watched him walk away before dropping from the crate and grabbing his duffel bag from the ground.

Jordan rolled his shoulder as he sat backstage at Smackdown in his workout attire. Even though he had been cleared to compete the prior week, he had been given the night off from wrestling so he would be one hundred percent that Sunday. However, he stood behind the gorilla position as Cesaro finished his match against his former teammate, Jack Swagger. Cesaro won his match, and retrieved a microphone before coming to stand still in the ring, holding his Money in the Bank briefcase. "Jordan, I know you're not competing tonight. I also know that you're back there though. If you would, please come out to the ring with me." There was a pause as Jordan felt Becky's disapproval all the way from the women's locker room before Riot played and he exited through the curtains. He walked down to the ring with his title on his shoulder as the fans cheered loudly. He slid into the ring and retrieved a microphone as Cesaro clapped for him.

"Thank you for coming down here, Jordan. It shows a true fighters spirit in you." Jordan stared at the Money in the Bank winner before raising his mic up.

"Why did you call me down here, mate?" He questioned, causing Cesaro to laugh.

"I can understand why you're so on edge right now after what you went through with Owens over the last couple months. However, I promise you that I mean you no harm tonight. I simply want you to know that, this sunday, is the match that will make or break my career."

"Is that right?"

"It is. This isn't some personal Vendetta against one another. It's a pure international athlete versus a pure international athlete. A striker versus a grappler. No matter who wins... I want your word that this match between us will involve your very best." Jordan smirked at the man's words before responding.

"Every time I step in this ring, I give it my very best. And when I'm up against you Cesaro, it will not be any different. I'll come after you with the intent to take you down." Cesaro nodded with a smirk. Then, to the fans elation, he outstretched his hand. Jordan stared at it for a moment before reaching out and shaking the other wrestlers hand. The crowd roared loudly as they exchanged a few words off of the microphone before vacating the ring and walking up the ramp together.

"The United States Champion and his number one contender having very obvious respect for one another." Cole spoke.

"Two men who love the business and respect what each other stands for and the title they're fighting for." Jerry tacked on. "Stay tuned, Smackdown will be right back."

Brianna exited onto the stage to Meteor as her opponent, Alexa Bliss, stood in the ring. It was a rematch from two weeks ago, and Alexa sent her a scathing look as she entered the ring. She handed her title off to an official and took her place in her corner. Her music died and the referee called for the bell before both female wrestlers moved forward and locked up in the middle of the ring. Brianna was able to get the advantage and flipped Alexa over onto her back before placing her in a headlock. Alexa brought her knee up and hit Brianna in the back of the head, forcing the hold to be broken. Brianna stood to her feet and ducked underneath a forearm from her competitor before turning with a spinning heel kick that floored her opponent. Alexa held the side of her face before she was pulled to her feet. Brianna threw her opponent into the ropes and went for a flying hip attack, but Alexa caught onto the top rope, effectively avoiding the move. The blonde haired woman dashed toward the champion and smashed her forearm into her face, knocking her onto her back. Alexa smirked down at her opponent as she kicked her in the abdomen before dragging her to her feet. She threw Brianna into the ropes and caught her with a Japanese arm drag. Brianna grit her teeth before Alexa performed her standing back flip into a double knee drop. Brianna rolled across the ring, holding her abdomen. Alexa pulled her to her feet and yelled at her before bouncing her face off of the canvas. Brianna felt her face before Alexa went to pick her up again. Brianna caught her with an elbow to the gut.

Alexa grabbed at the recently attacked part and Brianna came off of the mat with an elbow to the side of the head. Alexa stumbled to the side before Brianna caught her with another spinning heel kick. Alexa hit the mat and Brianna went for the oin, but only got a one count. Brianna pulled Alexa to her feet before the blonde woman shoved her backwards. Alexa bounced off the ropes and ran into a hip attack from the champion. Brianna placed her hands over her face attacked moved her head back and forth as Alexa slowly stood to her feet. Brianna went for the Kelly Maneuver, but Alexa reversed out and into a DDT of her own. She went for the cover but only got two. Alexa stood up and walked to the referee. She jerked his attention away from Brianna and began yelling at him. With the official preoccupied, Paige slid into the ring after jumping the barricade and slid into the ring. "What's Paige doing out here!? Turn around ref!" As Brianna got back to her feet, Paige hit her with a Ram-Paige before sliding out of the way. Alexa blew past the referee since the damage had done, and climbed the turnbuckle before hitting a Twisted Bliss and covering. Paige smirked as Alexa's music played before she entered back into the ring with a brown paper bag and a microphone. Alexa lifted Brianna up off the mat, allowing Paige to slip the bag over her head.

"That works for you." Paige spoke into her microphone with a smile. "I guess you really are faceless because it's like I'm staring straight at you." Paige frowned before turning serious. "You're time running around pretending to be the Women's champion is over. This sunday I'm going to remind everyone why this is MY house." Paige dropped the microphone onto Brianna before she and Alexa exited the ring, walking up the ramp smiling as Brianna slowly sat up and removed the bag to glare at them.

Andy sat backstage at Takeover, listening to the roar of the crowd as the watched the event taking place out in the ring. He jumped slightly as he felt two hands touch his shoulders and bent his head back on his chair to find a smiling Bayley. "Hey champ." She spoke happily, causing him to smile.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Bayley shrugged slightly in response.

"I just got done with my match a little while ago. I heard you were getting called up to the main roster!" Andy nodded with a sheepish smile and Bayley beamed. "That's awesome! Guess what?"

"The cookie monster finally got out of rehab?" He spoke without missing a beat, causing Bayley to slap his shoulder lightly with a laugh.

"No. I'm getting called up too!" Andy turned slightly in his chair to stare at her.

"Are you really?" Bayley nodded happily and Andy stood from his chair to hug her. Bayley quickly hugged him back as she excitedly bounced in place. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you'll!" She replied as an official poked his head around the corner and called for Andy. "Well, I'll see you later." Bayley spoke, her smile dipping slightly. Andy stared down at her before replying.

"Do you want to go see a movie with me after the show?" Bayley stared at him for a second before nodding happily.

"I'd love to." Andy smiled at her before following the official to the gorilla position. Sami was already finishing his entrance. The lights went dark and his voice echoed over the arena as the crowd cheered. "There are monsters in this world, not meant to be defeated. There's no turning back Sami Zayne! Offer your soul! And I will show you... the greatest Nightmare." Andy's normal Crown of Thorns played as the lights rose to show Andy Kneeling on both knees. He rose with his arms outstretched. He wore his silver gear with his Nightmare logos on them, but he wasn't painted. Instead, he wore his Nightmare long sleeve shirt and bandanna. Andy aimed his hands like guns hand at Sami before shooting and making his way down the ramp. He paused at the end and crouched before jerking his bandanna down to reveal his face. He pointed left to "Strong!" Before right to "Style!" Before removing his bandanna and handing it to the crowd. He climbed the ropes like he normally did as Nightmare before climbing the turnbuckle to do his hanging draw. He removed his shirt, revealing he wore armbands to his biceps with his Nightmare arm pain printed on them, before throwing it to he crowd. He dropped into the ring and stared up at his title that hung high overhead. The referee called for the bell and the two wrestlers began circling each other. They locked up and Sami kneed his opponent in the gut. Andy bent over and Sami slammed his forearm into his back. Andy shot up with an upper cut to the jaw before kicking Sami's leg out from under him. Sami went down to one knee before Andy's knee slammed into his face. Andy bounded into the ropes and hit Sami with a shining wizard as he made his way back to his feet. Andy went to pull the Sami to his feet, but the red headed wrestler wrenched his arm behind his back. Andy stumbled forward before reaching over his shoulder, grabbing Sami by the back of his head, before dropping down and flipping him over his shoulder. Sami hit the mat and Andy made to drop his knee down onto his face, but Sami rolled out of the way. Sami hit the ropes and came back with a dropkick that launched Andy across the ring. Sami rushed at him, but Andy launched through the air with a knee to the face. Andy hopped back to his feet and pulled Sami back up. Sami twisted his arm to try to break the hold, and Andy performed a low front flip before knocking Sami's feet out from under him. Sami lashed out with his foot, knocking Andy to one knee before launching to his feet and dropping Andy down with a DDT. Sami dropped an elbow down onto his opponent. Sami slid from the ring and went for a ladder. After breaking it down, he turned and found Andy sailing toward him with a spaceman moonsault planca. Andy smashed into the ladder and Sami crashed into the barricade with all of the weight landing on him.

Andy held his back in pain before slowly standing to his feet. Sami made to get to his feet and Andy jumped, jamming his foot into the barricade and uaing it as leverage before launching his foot at Sami's head. Sami ducked down, and when Andy landed he was hit with a dropkick that sent him back first into the barricade. Andy stumbled forward and landed on the ground. As he stood up, Sami grabbed the ladder, smashing it into Andy's back, forcing Andy's face to slam into the ring post. Andy fell to the ground and Sami threw the ladder into the ring. He quickly followed after it and set the ladder up, lining it with the title hanging in the air. He turned and was hit with a flying Yakuza kick that sent him into the ladder, knocking it over. Sami shook his head before Andy pulled him to his feet. An Enzuigiri sent the red headed wrestler stumbling into the corner. Andy flew through the air with a high knee before launching into a combo of elbows and knees to the skull. He dropped away and Sami fell into a sitting position. Andy followed up with a hesitation dropkick before climbing the turnbuckle as Sami rolled out. He went for a Coup De Grace, but Sami rolled out of the way. Andy landed and was hit with a back breaker that sent him rolling out of the ring. Sami stood in place, staring at him before bouncing off the ropes and launching himself over the other side onto Andy with a Tope con Hilo. Andy stumbled backward as Sami slammed into him, causing his back to smash into the announce table. Andy clenched his teeth in pain as he arched his back. Sami was quickly back to his feet, grabbing Andy by the back of the head before smashing his head into the announce table. Andy stumbled backward and held his head. When he recovered, he turned and found Sami going through the turnbuckles and catching him in a DDT before dropping him to the floor. Andy held his head in pain. Sami went to pick Andy up, but Andy launched up, grabbing Sami in a Rock Bottom like grapple before dropping face first with him to the ground. Andy lay there for a moment, holding his back, before he made his way to his feet. He walked to the adjacent side of the ring and grabbed the ladder sitting there, placing one end of it on the barricade and the other on the ring apron. He turned to find Sami standing back to his feet. He rushed forward, his body sliding under the bottom turnbuckle before dropkicking his opponent. Andy rolled into the ring, holding his back, before picking up the ladder. He turned, and the ladder smashed into his chest due to a dropkick from Sami.

Andy hit the mat and Sami retrieved the ladder. He propped it up in one of the corners before turning and dragging Andy to his feet. He kneed him in the gut before Irish whipping him into the corner. Andy arched his back as it slammed into the ladder before Sami's foot smashed into his head, rebounding it off of the ladder. "Oh my god! Helluva Kick! That might have knocked Andy out cold!" Phillips screamed as Andy crumbled to the ground. Sami pulled the ladder out of the corner before setting it back up in the middle of the ring. He began climbing it, and as if sensing it, Andy hauled himself to his feet. He hesitated at the bottom of the ladder, hand on his back, before he followed up after Sami. Sami made a few futile grabs for the title before holding off as he realized how close Andy was. They traded blows back and forth, trying a couple of times to push one another off the ladder. Then, Sami caught Andy and Suplexed him to the mat below. "Suplex from the ladder! Neither man is moving!"

Andy lay on the mat with his back arched and his mouth formed in a silent scream. He rolled over on his stomach and tried his best to push himself off the mat. Sami used the ropes to pick himself up. They rose to their feet at roughly the same time, trading exhausted blows. Andy eventually kicked Sami in the gut, gaining the upper hand, before Irish whipping him into the corner near the ladder propped between the ring and barricade. Andy slowly followed after him, lifting him up onto the top rope. Andy exited to the apron and climbed the turnbuckle on the outside. "I think he's going to try to suplex him onto that ladder!" Corey called. Sami began punching him in the head, breaking Andy's hold on him. Sami grabbed him by the waist and stood before jumping to the outside of the ring with a modified sidewalk slam. Andy's back slammed into the propped up ladder and he screamed in pain as he fell from the ladder onto the ground writhing. Sami lay on the ground, his head having bounced off the ladder. Sami slowly drew himself to his feet and forces himself into the ring. He stumbled to the ladder, almost knocking it over, before he began climbing it. He tiredly rested his head on the top of the ladder before he began to reach for the belt suspended in the air.

He yelled out in surprise as Andy got into the ring, falling forward with just enough force to knock the ladder over. Sami fell through the air before getting hung up on the ropes as the crowd yelled in sympathy. Andy stayed on the ground for a second before getting to his feet and pulling the ladder back up into a standing position. He bounced of the ropes with noticeable difficulty and hit Sami with a Frankensteiner Driver. Andy landed directly on his back and laid on the mat as Sami's body shot upright, where Andy would normally hit his Kinshasa, before he joined Andy on the mat. Andy struggled to his feet and only made it up with help from the ropes. Leaning heavily on them, the camera zoomed in on him as he aimed his hand like a gun at Sami and yelled "Shot down!" Showing that he was dangerously pale. Andy rushed forward to hit Sami with a Kinshasa as he got to his hands and feet. Then, he hit the mat next to the red headed man. Sami stared down at him, dazed, as the referee slid across the mat to check on Andy who appeared to be conscious but not responding. Sami began talking to the referee before he and the official held their arms up in 'X's'. Medical officials came running down the ramp with a gurney and slid in the ring to check on the wrestler, to the horror of the crowd. Sami used the ropes to pull himself to his feet amd watched with a solemn expression as Andy was strapped up and placed on the gurney. The referee spoke to him as Andy was wheeled up the ramp. Reluctantly, he climbed the ladder and retrieved the still hanging NXT title. The announcer did not announce Sami as the new champion and he motioned for his music to be cut before it even began as the crowd remained silent. Sami slowly climbed down from the ladder and exited the ring, walking up the ramp with his head lowered. Takeover ended on a mute scene.

Jordan made his way through the backstage of Battleground in silence. Becky walked beside him, making to talk to him every so often but then deciding not to. He had just learned an hour or so prior that Andy Mercier had herniated three disks in his back the night before. He had sustained injury early in his match and forced himself through, further injuring himself. Finally, she spoke. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." He returned simply, but she could tell from the undertone that he wasn't. She placed a hand on his shoulder as he continued to walk. She rubbed it soothingly as she stared at him with sad eyes.

"Andy will be okay."

"He'll be out for months." Jordan replied with a sigh. "I got to talk to him a little while ago. He sounded so lost. Like he'd given up hope. He might be done." Becky ran a hand over his head and reached up to peck him on the cheek.

"Try to get your mind over it, okay? Try to... focus on your match. We'll go see him after the show." Jordan nodded in response and Becky let him leave to get into position for his match. Cesaro was finishing his entrance, kissing his Money in the Bank briefcase before handing it to the referee. Riot played, and the fans cheered. Jordan stepped through the curtains into darkness. The lights rose and he held his title high, a focused yet far off look on his face.

"And there's the United States Champion, Jordan Sterling." Cole spoke, prompting a nod from Jerry as Jordan went to one knee for his "One man enters and one man leaves!" Shout.

"He looks out of it here tonight."

"Oh yeah. The look on his face tells a story. His best friend sustained a serious injury last night." Jordan paused at the end of the ramp to bend and look at the camera. He jumped onto the apron and ran the ropes before throwing his shirt to the crowd. He handed his title to the referee, who held it and the Money in the Bank briefcase high. Then, he handed them off to an official outside. He returned to the center of the ring and called for the bell. Jordan and Cesaro came out of their corners. Cesaro went for a lock up, and Jordan delivered a swift jab at his jaw. Cesaro's head snapped to the side and Jordan caught him in a headlock before delivering multiple knees to his abdomen. Jordan launched into a flurry of strikes to the abdomen before Cesaro broke the onslaught and caught him in a bear hug. Cesaro lifted him into the air before slamming his back into the mat. Jordan arched his back and Cesaro maneuvered around his body to place Jordan in a headlock. Jordan fought to his feet before flipping Cesaro over his shoulder. Cesaro slammed into the mat and moved onto his hands and knees where Jordan began punching him in the side of the head. Jordan pulled the bald man to his feet and smashed his forearm into his face. Cesaro stumbled back before delivering an uppercut to Jordan. Jordan's head snapped back before Cesaro grabbed his arm. He wrenched it behind Jordan's back before wrapping his arm around his throat and slamming him backwards into the mat. Cesaro wrapped his arm around Jordan's throat before lifting him to his feet and dragging him around the ring. Jordan began striking at the man's ribs, eventually forcing him to break his hold.

Jordan delivered an elbow to his opponents face before Irish whipping him into a corner. Jordan followed after to smash his forearm into the man's face. Cesaro stumbled out into an uppercut from Jordan before he fell into a sitting position in the corner. Jordan slammed his knee into his opponents face, forcing him to bend forward where Jordan slammed his foot into his back. Cesaro rolled forward and Jordan gave a roar to the crowd, who happily returned it. He made his way to the corner and stalked Cesaro until he got to his hands and knees. Jordan went for a punt kick, but Cesaro jumped to his feet and launched Jordan as high in the air as he could before hitting him with a European Uppercut. Jordan landed on his feet and stumbled back before Cesaro grabbed him and slammed him to the mat with and spinebuster. Jordan arched his back as Cesaro grabbed his legs before spinning him with a giant swing. "The Cesaro Swing!" Cole cried before Cesaro transitioned it. "And now a Sharpshooter! Jordan might have to tap here!" Jordan yelled in pain as Cesaro pulled back harshly on the submission. Jordan fought against it and was able to send Cesaro stumbling forward off of him.

Cesaro turned around as Jordan held his legs. He made to pick him up, but Jordan delivered a harsh blow to the side of his head. Cesaro stumbled back and Jordan jumped to his feet, spearing Cesaro to the mat. "M16!" Jordan held his leg before grabbing Cesaro's arm and dragging him into the Hell's Gate. "And now Bloody Hell! Cesaro might have to tap now!" Cesaro struggled against the submission as Jordan pulled on him violently. Using as much strength as he could muster, Cesaro stood to his feet, lifting Jordan up before slamming him back to the mat, effectively breaking the hold. Cesaro grabbed Jordan's arm and tried to pull him into a Crossface, but Jordan stumbled to his feet and moved around the mat until he jerked his arm and slammed his fist into his opponents jaw. Cesaro hit the he mat and Jordan picked him up before delivering a power bomb.

"Tea time!" Jordan went for the cover, but only got a near fall as Cesaro was able to force himself out of the pin. Jordan shook his head in frustration and he picked Cesaro up. The two began trading blows back and forth. Jordan made for a strong swipe, but Cesaro ducked underneath it before coming up with a violent uppercut. Jordan stumbled back and Cesaro Irish whipped him into the ropes. Jordan bounced back and went for another spear, but Cesaro dodged to the side. Jordan halted himself and turned around to a violent kick to the gut. Jordan doubled over before Cesaro caught him with a cradle belly-to-back inverted slam. "The neutralizer!" The crowd screamed as Cesaro went for the cover.

"No! New champion! We have a new champion!"

"Here is your winner, and NEW United States Champion, Cesaro!" The announcer called as Cesaro's music played. The man stood to his feet with a shocked expression as his Money in the Bank briefcase and the United States Championship was handed to him. He held them high as Jordan felt his head. Cesaro slowly lowered his winnings to the ground before helping Jordan to his feet. The crowd waited with baited breath until Cesaro extended his hand to Jordan. Jordan stared at him, dazed, before he shook the man's hand. The crowd cheered wildly as Cesaro lifted Jordan's arm high in the air and pointed to him while Battleground went to commercial.

Brianna waited by the gorilla position for her match when Jordan passed through, rubbing the side of his face. "Hey Jordan." She spoke out solemnly, causing him to glance at her. "Great match out there. Sorry about the outcome." Jordan shrugged in response as he massaged his shoulder.

"I'll get back to the top. You win some and you lose some. It could be worse." Brianna nodded at the man's words and scrunched her eyebrows together. She had just recently gotten off the phone with Bayley, who was currently the only one able to be with Andy. The former NXT Champion was in a lot of pain and was being heavily sedated for the time being. "You ok?" Jordan asked suddenly, breaking her reverie. She nodded but gave a grimace.

"I'm worried about him." Jordan gave his own nod in response.

"Me too." He returned as Paige began her entrance. Jordan glanced over his shoulder before looking back at Brianna. "Good luck out there." Brianna gave a brief nod and Jordan made his way to find Becky. Brianna heard Meteor begin and she hurriedly made her way onto the stage wearing her normal entrance gear and her reflective mat. She began to walk down the ramp, but paused to the confusion of the crowd. She lowered herself to one knee and slapped the ground before coming back to her feet with Andy's shout of "Strong Style Shooter!". The crowd cheered loudly in approval as Brianna made her way down the ramp and entered the ring. She handed her title off to the referee, who held it high as her music faded. The referee handed the title to an official at ringside before he called for the bell. Brianna and Paige made for one another. Brianna made a kick for her opponent's head, but Paige ducked underneath it. Paige went for a forearm to the face, but Brianna shoved it away and elbowed her in the side of the head. Brianna slammed her knee into Paige's abdomen forcing her to double over. She flipped Paige into a sitting position before dropkicking her in the back. Paige arched her back before she was pulled to her feet again. Paige bounced off the ropes as Brianna Irish whipped her before returning with a single leg dropkick to the champion. Brianna hit the mat and Paige quickly pulled her to her feet. Then, Paige threw her with a hair-pull toss. Brianna made to get back to her feet, but Paige ran at her with a high knee. Brianna hit the mat and Paige pulled her to her feet before delivering multiple Headbutts. Brianna punched her in the stomach and stumbled to her feet. Paige ran at her, but Brianna hit her with a flying hip attack.

Paige hit the mat and Brianna dropped a knee down on her face. Brianna pulled Paige to her feet before launching her into the corner. Brianna followed closely behind before launching herself through the air with a high knee to the face. She then launched into a combo of elbows and knees to the skull. "Shades of her mentor, Andy Mercier there." Michael Cole commented. Brianna dropped to her feet, and when Paige stumbled forward, she delivered a forearm to the face. Paige stumbled back into the corner and Brianna pulled her out, launching her into the ropes before hitting her with a shoulder block. Paige hit the mat and Brianna dropped another knee on her. Paige rolled away and stumbled to her feet. Brianna made a grab for her, but Paige broke it. Paige kneed Brianna in the abdomen before grabbing her by the back of the head and Kneeing her in the face multiple times. Paige then threw Brianna's head back and hit her with an upper cut that caused her to stumble backward. Paige reached out and grabbed her arm before Irish whipping her into the corner. Paige flew through the air with a high knee of her own before dropping to the mat. She turned and hit the champion with multiple back elbows before being forced to step away by the referee. Brianna stumbled out of the corner and was kicked in the gut before Paige laid her out with a cradle DDT. "And a Ram-Paige!"

Paige went for the cover, but Brianna broke the count at two. Paige angrily stood to her feet and kicked the downed champion. "This is MY house you faceless wannabe!" Paige screamed as she dragged Brianna to her feet. Brianna lashed out with a punch to the gut, breaking Paige's hold on her before kicking her in the gut and landing a lifting single underhook DDT.

"The Kelly Maneuver!" Brianna went for a pin, but Paige kicked out. "But it's just not enough!" Brianna slowly pulled Paige up, but Paige suddenly charged forward, shoving her opponent into the corner. They were stuck like that until the referee forced them to release each other. Paige slowly backed away before reaching out and raking Brianna's face. The referee chastised the number one contender as Brianna stumbled out of the corner into a swinging leg hook fireman's carry slam. "And now a Paige Turner!"

"My house!" Paige screamed angrily at Brianna for going for the cover. Again, she only got a near fall as Brianna forced her shoulder up. Paige screamed with rage and pulled Brianna to her feet, screaming in her face. Brianna broke her hold and hit her with a spinning heel kick. Paige hit the mat, and when she was on her knees, Brianna nailed her with a Frankensteiner Driver. Paige's body shot up and Brianna slammed into her with a Kinshasa.

"Oh my god! Andy's out! Homage to her mentor! And she gets the victory off of it!" Meteor played and Brianna took her title from the referee. She slid out of the ring and walked to the barricade where her family was sitting in the front row to hug them. She took her baby sister and held her as she sat on the barricade. With the camera zoomed in on her, Brianna pointed to the infants Andy Mercier onesie before acting like she was taking a crown of and putting it back on. Meteor died and Crown of Thorns played as Brianna pointed her hand like a gun at the camera and Battleground went to commercial.

The following NXT, Bayley breathed heavily after a match. She retrieved her title and a microphone and motioned for her music to be cut before lifting the mic to her mouth. "Andy..." She spoke out of the breath, the fans cheering at the name. "I know you're back there... and I know that you're injured... but we need you Andy. You don't realize how important you are. If you can, please come to the ring...?" There was a hesitation and the fans waited on the edge of their seats. Andy appeared on the ramp with the help of crutches and two officials. No music was played, and it took him a couple minutes to reach the ring with the fans chanting 'Thank you Andy!' Bayley spreading the ropes open to help him inside the ring. Bayley bit her bottom lip as she watched him crutch to the middle of the ring.

"So... how are you doing? I mean, I know you're injured, but how are you feeling?" Bayley held the microphone toward Andy as she held her title on her shoulder.

"I'll be honest, Bayley. I'm really sad." The crowd made an 'aw' noise as Bayley nodded her head with a downtrodden look.

"Well... is there anything we can do?" She questioned as the someone from the crowd yelled 'Hug her!'. Andy looked around before speaking into the mic that Bayley offered him.

"I don't know, Bayley. I'm in a lot of pain with my back and all." Bayley nodded again before speaking.

"Well, I don't think we can fix your back tonight, but is there... anything I can do to make you feel better." Bayley smiled as she held her arms slightly outstretched as Andy slowly rotated with his crutches to look around the ring as the crowd chanted 'Hug her!'. He gained a smile and nodded his head. He reached out and took the mic from Bayley before leaning forward and whispering in her ear. He crutches back as Bayley made an 'o' shape with her mouth before pointing to herself and asking 'me?'. Andy nodded before speaking into his mic.

"Yeah, that'll make me feel better." He stated as the crowd made a loud noise with one man yelling 'Atta boy!'. "You have to do it." Andy stated as Bayley excitedly nodded her head before sticking her hand out and telling him to 'hold on'. Bayley quickly slid from the ring and ran up the ramp with her title. Andy watched her disappear behind the curtain before talking again. "Yeah. I'm actually really sad. The news just broke today on the WWE website that I'll be taking an extended leave-" Andy stopped as the lights shut off. "What's going on?"

The fans cheered loudly as Crown of Thorns played. Bayley exited through the curtain with a leather jacket that she held closed. She made a small circle like Andy normally did after a title defense, showing that the back of her jacket held his Mercier Club logo, before she jerked the jacket open to reveal her title. She came down onto one knee and felt the ground before slapping it and launching to her feet with a cry of "Strong Style Shooter!". She made her way down the ramp, touching hands with fans with the Too Sweet gesture. She came to a halt at the end of the ramp and lifted both arms with her hands like guns as the crowd yelled "Strong!" Before turning and rushing back up and little way and performing the action again to "Style!". She turned around with a smirk on her face before walking forward and jumping on the apron. She paused her and stared at the crowd before climbing the turnbuckle and doing Andy's hanging draw. She dropped down into the ring and held her jacket closed before jerking it open to reveal her title to Andy with a nod and the same smirk from before. Andy held his hands on his head, propped up with his crutches. He crutched forward and the two spoke quickly before pointing their hands like guns out at the crowd. They slowly lifted their hands into the Too Sweet gesture.

"The coolest entrance ever!" Bayley called, causing Andy to smile before they touched their hands together. Turn it up by CFO$ played as Bayley carefully hugged Andy and he returned it as best he could. NXT faded on this image as tears welled in Andy's eyes.

XXX

And that's a wrap. So there's the surprise I've been talking about. Andy... gets hurt. If you're a bug wrestling fan you know it's a similar injury to the one Shawn Michaels received with one major difference. Shawn had two herniated disks and the third was completely crushed. I went with three herniated because people can heal relatively quickly from a herniation, sometimes taking around 12 weeks to show major improvement without surgery. So yeah. Where do our main characters go from here? When I post again it'll probably be with Andy's return. But at the stage, Andy is the former NXT Champion who was going to the main roster, Jordan is no longer the United States Champion and Brianna is still reigning supreme over the Women's division. So how do they interact when reunited? How will the landscape have shaped? What will Andy be like after his injury? Find out next time! Geez my thumbs hurt...


	22. Chapter 22

Blitzkrieg 1.1

Andy sighed as he leaned back in his recliner. He was currently watching a recorded episode of Smackdown, and he bit his bottom lip as he watched the show. Not being able to step foot in the ring, Andy felt like a part of him was missing. Not just a part. He felt like everything was missing. Wrestling had been his dream as far back as he could remember, back when his mother would get worried over her baby boy because he dropkicked an invisible opponent and scraped his elbow. And now that dream was on hold, with no definitive answer on if he would ever get to chase it again.

He was confined to his house. He rarely left, finding most actions too painful and not being able to walk without the use of at least one crutch. So, he watched wrestling, all day. He watched the WWE Network, old dvds he had bought, he watched it on YouTube, he was a regular viewer on Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and yes, after the first week or so, even Impact wrestling. He would groan at the feuds happening in the lesser company, cheer when he watched his favorite matches from the WWF and WCW, he would talk along with promos and pretend to insert himself into matches, even commentating for them.

And it hurt him not knowing if he would ever get to do any of it ever again.

A knock on his door drew his attention. Andy gave a groan and pulled himself to his feet slowly with the help of a single crutch. He hobbled across his living room and reached the door. He sighed as he placed his head against his front door. The knocking came again and Andy opened it before his eyes widened. "Glad we have your address. I'll be honest, I didn't peg you as someone who lives in isolation."

"Mr. Levesque-"

"Hunter." The man responded while raising his hand.

"Hunter, what're you doing here?"

"Well, you're a promising star and your upper management is worried about you." Hunter responded with a half shrug before glancing over Andy. The former NXT Champion had allowed his hair to grow out, now hanging down all around his head. He hadn't shaved in a while, so he was on his way to growing a beard. He had dark rings around his eyes as if he hadn't been sleeping. He wore a faded red muscle shirt and an old pair of gym shirts. "Good thing too. You aren't looking too good." Andy tried to force a smile but only came out with a grim expression.

"I guess it happens when you lose part of your life." Andy responded, causing a frown from Hunter.

"So that's it? You get hurt and you're done? Andy, you've been injured before. And you've come back every time. Why should this be any different?"

"It's the injury, Hunter." Andy retorted as he moved his crutch to put more weight on it. "It's just something I don't know if I'll come back from. And if I do, how do I know that my back will hold up, mate? Think about it. I come back and my first match back I hit the mat again." Hunter shook his head and placed his hand on Andy's shoulder.

"Come with me." He stated, indicating to his car parked in Andy's driveway with his head.

"What?"

"Come with me. There are a few people that want to meet you. I think you might just be inspired." Andy gave the man a skeptical look before locking his door and shutting it. He hobbled on his crutch with Hunter helping him to the car. After Andy was situated, Hunter joined him in the vehicle and started it before throwing it in reverse and leaving the house.

"Welcome to Summer Slam!"

"Brianna retains the title!"

"Jordan fails to reclaim his United States championship."

"Welcome to Backlash!"

"Brianna puts a roadblock to Charlotte!"

"Jordan and Cesaro making a formidable team here tonight."

"Welcome to Clash of Champions!"

"Charlotte almost getting the victory over Brianna, but that Melanie Rose lock Brianna's started using stopped her short again."

"Jordan has reclaimed the United States Championship!"

"Welcome to No Mercy!"

"A hard fought match by Brianna, but we have a NEW Women's champion in Becky Lynch!"

"Jordan retains!"

"Cesaro cashing in! Cesaro is the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion!"

"Welcome to Hell in a Cell!"

"Brianna falling just short of beating Becky in her rematch here tonight."

"What the hell! Kevin Owens just cost Jordan the United States Championship!"

XXX Six months after Injury XXX

"Welcome everybody to Survivor Series!" The tension backstage was palpable as the pay per view moved forward. It was the first Survivor Series since the brand split, and therefore the first to pit Raw and Smackdown against one another in years. Everyone was vying for their brand to be recognized as number one. Except Jordan.

He bounced back and forth on his feet as he waited for his match. It was set as a grudge match between him and Owens. The loser would be leaving Smackdown. Jordan rolled his shoulder as Kevin sauntered out to the ring. Riot played loudly and Jordan stepped out into darkness.

The lights rose and Jordan stood on the ramp with a focused look on his face. He rung his hands together before coming to his knee with his shout of "One man enters and one man leaves!". He got to his feet and made his way down the ramp. He paused at the end to bend and look at the camera before jumping on the apron and running the ropes. He threw his shirt to the fans before entering the ring. He and Owens made for one another but the referee forced them back into their corners. He extended his arms both ways before calling for the bell. Jordan and Owens quickly made for one another again and began trading blows back and forth.

"And the grudge match to end all grudge matches!"

"Oh yeah. The bad blood between these two is so thick that the loser is exiled from Smackdown! Which might not be so bad meaning they'd come to Raw..."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Jordan delivered a hard elbow to Owens jaw, forcing his head to snap to the side. He followed up with an uppercut before grabbing Owens and hip flipping him to the mat. Jordan covered the man's body with his own before delivering multiple knees strikes to the top of his skull. Jordan was forced to break his hold and Owens stumbled to his feet. Jordan made a sharp jab for him, but Kevin threw his hand out and knocked the punch to the side. Owens kicked the man in the gut before delivering a Headbutt to his him. Owens pulled Jordan into a headlock, but Jordan broke it and jabbed back with his elbow. Owens head snapped to the side and released his hold. Jordan spun and punched him in his abdomen. Owens responded with an uppercut before pulling his opponent into a fallaway slam. Owens stomped on Jordan's face before pulling him to his feet.

With the dark skinned man groggy, Owens caught him with a swinging neck breaker. Jordan rolled across the ring and held his head. Owens made his way to him and began stomping his gut. After a few strikes, Jordan caught his foot and pulled his legs out from under him. Owens hit the mat and Jordan rolled on top of him, delivering stiff shots to the skull. Jordan stood to his feet and rolled his neck. When Owens stood to his feet, Jordan hit him with a combination of knees and kicks before slamming his palm into his jaw. Owens stumbled and Jordan caught him with running high knee. Owens hit the mat and Jordan looked at his wrist tape, as if checking the time, before pulling Owens to his feet. Kevin made to strike at Jordan but he dodged away and launched him into the opposite corner. Jordan followed after and delivered an elbow to the face. Owens stumbled out of the corner straight into an uppercut. Owens fell back into the corner where Jordan slammed his knee into the man's face. Owens was forced to slump forward and Jordan stomped on his back. Owens rolled out of the corner and Jordan made after him. Owens caught him with a swift strike to the jaw before placing Jordan's jaw on the top of his head and dropping to his knees.

Jordan stumbled back and Owens followed after him with a clothesline. Jordan hit the mat and Owens dropped down on him with both knees. Jordan grabbed at his abdomen and rolled away. Owens pulled Jordan to his feet and smashed his elbow into his face. Jordan stumbled back and Owens Irish whipped him into the ropes. Jordan came back and was hit with a pop up Powerbomb.

"Goodnight! Welcome to Monday night Raw!" Jordan kicked out at two to the commentators shock. Owens flared his nostrils and pulled his opponent to his feet before slamming his elbow into his face again. Jordan hit the ropes and came back with a spear. "M16! Jordan wins! Owens is going to Raw!" Jordan licked his lips as he stood to his feet and allowed the referee to raise his hand. Then, he looked left and right as the lights shut off. When they rose again, Bray Wyatt had him with his back bent. Jordan struggled as Bray kissed his head before hitting him with Sister Abigail.

Bray laughed as slid from the ring before taking a seat in his wooden rocking chair at the end of the ramp that had been dragged out by his followers. He took a microphone that was handed to him and laughed into it. "Jordan Sterling..." He spoke as the crowd yelled. "... what happened my friend? Six months ago you were on top of the world. What were your words... you won the title and the woman. But then you lost the title. Where did it go wrong? I know. When you lost your brother. When we lose someone important to us we move on. But we're never quite the same. Follow the buzzards Jordan. And we will show you a new brotherhood. It's time for Sister Abigail's arrival, and you... you will guide us to her."

"Bizarre words from Bray Wyatt." Michael Cole spoke as Bray laughed.

Brianna took a deep breath as she stood behind the curtain while Brie Bella walked to the ring. Tonight was important. The WWE Women's Championship was now considered a Raw Championship. Smackdown was debuting their own in the Smackdown Women's Championship. Tonight, Brianna planned to make history by being the first to claim it. Meteor played and she stepped out onto the stage to a chant of 'Hawaii Five 0!'. Brianna smiled as she made her way down the ramp and climbed into the ring. The referee stretched his arms out at both women before calling for the bell. Brianna and Brie slowly circled one another. "And here we go. A former Women's champion versus a former Diva's Champion for the new Smackdown Women's title." The two female wrestlers locked up before Brianna flipped Brie to the ground, holding her arm and pushing on her shoulder. Brie cried out in pain before rolling to the side, breaking the hold. She rolled to her feet and sent a kick at Brianna's side. The former Women's champion took the shot before delivering one of her own to the opponent. Brie grit her teeth before Brianna elbowed her in the face, knocking her to the mat. Brianna dropped a knee down on her before pulling her to her feet. Brie broke her hold and delivered two stiff kicks to her leg that brought her to one knee. Then, she delivered a variety of kicks to the chest as the crowd chanted 'Yes!'.

Brianna caught one of the kicks and stood to her feet before dragging Brie forward with her leg before smashing her forearm into her face. Brie made to get to her feet, bit Brianna hit her with a running knee to the face. Brie hit the mat and Brianna launched herself into the air before coming down with an elbow drop. Brie grabbed her abdomen and rolled away as Brianna came after her. Brie got to her feet and kicked her opponent in the gut before hitting her with a close clothesline. Brianna hit the mat and Brie tried to lock in an armbar. Brianna rolled to escape from the submission before delivering a spinning heel kick to Brie's head. Brie stumbled to side and Brianna caught her with a back breaker. Brianna went for the cover but only got a near fall. Brianna stood to her feet and picked Brie up. Brie quickly kneed her opponent in the gut before Irish whipping her into the corner. Brie followed after and delivered multiple kicks to her cornered opponent. Brianna stumbled forward as Brie was forced to back away before Brie tool a spot on the second ropes. She gave a cry of 'Brie Mode!' As Brianna made her way to her feet. Brie launched off the ropes with a missile dropkick that sent her back to the mat. Brianna rolled and tried to get to her feet, but Brie caught her in a sitout face buster. "Bella Buster! Brie for the win!"

Brianna kicked out of the woman's pin at two. Brie looked around in frustration before she dragged her opponent to her feet. Brie tried to drag her down into the 'YES! Lock', but Brianna stumbled around the ring before breaking Brie's hold on her and kicking the former Diva's Champion in the gut. Brie doubled over before she was hit with a lifting single underhook DDT. "The Kelly Maneuver!" Brianna stared down at her opponent before dragging her into a Bridging Muta Lock.

"And now the Melanie Rose! You know she named that in honor of her sister!"

"Well her sister just won her the title of being the first woman to hold the Smackdown Women's Championship!" Jerry Lawler responded to Cole. Meteor played and Brianna smiled happily through tears as she took her new title, which looked exactly like the Women's championship except with a blue background behind the logo, from the referee. She held it high before putting her hand out in the Shaka sign with the fans returning the gesture.

"Here is your winner and the inaugural Smackdown Women's champion, Brianna Kelly!" Survivor Series went to commercial as Brianna celebrated to the Chants of 'Hawaii Five 0!'.

"Welcome back to Survivor Series!" Michael exclaimed as a camera zoomed in on him. "It's been an exciting night and we're about to close it out with our main event!"

"And I can't wait for it!" Jerry responded happily. "It's been kept in mystery. We saw our traditional Survivor Series tag team match between Raw and Smackdown. Now, Raw and Smackdown will reveal their representatives to battle one on one in the 'Brand Dominance' match!"

The crowd cheered as Shane McMahon stepped onto the ramp to his music. He smiled as he unbuttoned his blazer and put his hands on his hips. He held up a finger before pointing it at the entrance. The crowd cheered wildly as Daniel Bryan joined him. The cheers died down when Stephanie McMahon's music hit and the Raw commissioner stepped out onto the top of the stage. Mick Foley came out directly after her to a pop that just wasn't quite as big as Bryan's. Backstage, Jacob, Becky and Brianna watched in half interest. "You know, Daniel and I thought long and hard about who we were going to use here tonight. You would think it would be a no Brainer, but we used most of our talent to bury you in the tag team match, which we did." Stephanie gave Shane a snarky look at his statement, to which he smiled. Daniel nodded happily as he lifted his microphone.

"That's right. Randy Orton and John Cena were already on the schedule. So, who could we use instead...?" Daniel put on a fake thinking expression and scratched the top of his head. "Well, the only superstar that came to my mind was simply... Phenomenal." The crowd cheered as AJ Styles walked out onto the stage to his phenomenal theme song. He shook hands with Shane and Daniel before making his way down the ramp and entering the ring. Stephanie nodded her head with a fake impressed expression.

"That's a pretty good pick to represent you, I'll give you that." Mick stated into his microphone, prompting a nod from Stephanie.

"Mick and I thoroughly looked through our roster, and when we weren't satisfied until we knew we had the best, we went and got help from the best." There was a pause with Daniel and Shane giving her mockingly confused faces. The crowd cheered loudly as King of Kings by Motorhead played and Triple H walked out onto the stage in his suit with a smirk.

"What? What is this? This can't be your pick." Triple H's body shook with a chuckle as he shook his head.

"Relax. I'm not here to wrestle, obviously. But, Steph came to me just the other night, stressing about who would represent Raw in the Brand Domination match. I looked at her, and I said I have just the right guy for you. I've been around him a lot lately, and even though he has yet to debut on Raw, he was signed to the brand."

"What are you talking about?" Shane questioned as his sister and brother in law gave him matching devious smiles.

"I would like to introduce you to the representative of Raw. Someone I relate to because he knows what it's like... to be the King." Shane and Daniel continued to give confused gazes.

"That could be almost anybody!" Jerry called at the announce table as the crowd waited in anticipation. "It could be a King of the Ring winner! It could be... Me!"

"I wouldn't go that far King." Suddenly, the lights began flashing between regular and red as a siren sounded.

"Attention Citizens. This is a city wide announcement, a level red situation is in effect. All non sanctioned personal evacuate immediately to all designated zones." A female voice echoed out through the arena. "Repeat: Level red, evacuate now." The siren slowly faded away and Triple H stood nodding his head. One for the Money by Escape the Fate began playing and the crowd stood on end in baited breath. Then, the arena became deafening as Raws representative stepped on stage, the titantron flashing the words 'King of Strong Style'. Backstage, Jordan, Becky and Brianna took a sharp in take of breath.

Andy Mercier stood on the stage between the Smackdown and Raw management. He wore a pair of white tights with his initials in various places. The ends of the M came up to form the point of his A directly overhead and the dash through the A was a bullet. He wore white knee pads with the same design that blended into the tights. He wore mostly black boots with white strap like designs and the word King printed on them in white. His right arm was taped with white tape that came from his upper forearm to his wrist. Each finger on his right hand had a strip of tape above the interphalangeal joint. His left arm was tapped in the same spot on his upper forearm and down to his wrist. The tape continued down his thumb to the middle of it. The rest of his fingers had a strip of tape like his right hand. He wore a black hoodie with the sleeves pulled up above his elbows. It was designed with a skeleton, with three red spots on the spinal cord where he had been injured. The hood that covered his head made it seem like he was wearing some type of animals skull. Around his mouth he wore a bandana with a lower skull printed on it that seemed to connect designs with the hoodie. He slowly reached up and removed the hood from his head, revealing that his hair was longer than it used to be. It was still shorter on the sides but not near as shaved to the skull. The hair on top of his head was slicked back, but in a way that his hair stood up backward. On the right side of the head, close to the temple, there were three horizontal lines cut into his hair. In contrast, his left eyebrow had three vertical lines cut into it near the end of it. Andy raised his hands skyward before slowly lowering them to point at AJ with his hands like guns. He dropped his right arm and pointed his left at Shane and Daniel before he began walking down the ramp.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Hunter spoke as Andy reached the end of the ramp. "I give you Andy Mercier!" Andy lifted his arms up to the cry of "Strong!" Before he turned and rushed a little up the ramp and did it again to "Style!". Andy turned around and came into a crouch. He reached up and ripped his bandanna off, the crowd getting louder as his face proved that it was actually him. Andy tossed the bandanna to the crowd before launching himself to the apron. He stared at his opponent before he climbed the turnbuckle and performed what he now called the Hangman's Draw. He dropped into the ring and walked forward, unzipping his hoodie and removing it before tossing it to the outside of the ring.

"I can't believe this! Andy Mercier is back!"

"And the fans are going crazy!" The crowd violently chanted 'Mercier Club!', causing Andy to smirk smugly. He pointed his hand at AJ and shot at him, causing AJ to give him a sarcastic laugh. The referee glanced between the two men before calling for the bell. Andy and AJ moved forward and began circling one another. They jerked forward suddenly and locked up with one another. AJ pulled Andy's arm behind his back, but Andy jerked away, wrenching his opponents arm out. AJ rolled along the mat and made a sweep for Andy's legs. Andy jumped over, and AJ dragged him into a headlock when he landed. Andy shoved him away and brought him back by his arm into his own headlock. AJ struggled against one arm before breaking free and spinning around to lock his arms around Andy's waist from behind. Andy forced his hands apart and flipped him over his shoulder. AJ went for a kick to the head, and Andy ducked under it. Andy kicked for AJ's side, but AJ caught it between his arm and ribs. AJ shifted to where he was holding Andy's ankle before jerking him forward and going for a clothesline. Andy dodged out of the way and the two wrestlers began walking in a circle as they stared at one another and the crowd cheered loudly.

"Look at the showmanship in the ring!"

"And despite it all, neither man has the advantage yet!" Andy and AJ locked back up before AJ jerked Andy into a headlock. Before Andy could retaliate, AJ delivered a stiff shot to his face. Andy stumbled back when AJ jerked his head back before AJ hit a jumping kick to his face. Andy hit the mat. As he came to a sitting position, AJ came back from the ropes and slammed his knee into his face. Andy fell back holding his head. AJ kicked him in the abdomen before dragging him to his feet. AJ flipped him back into a sitting position before landing a stiff kick to his back. Andy arched his back and grit his teeth before coming to stand to his feet. He dodged to the side and let AJ sail past him with a flying knee. AJ turned around into a flying Yakuza kick. AJ hit the mat before Andy stomped his chest multiple times. Andy dragged him to his feet and kneed him in the abdomen before delivering an uppercut. AJ stumbled back and Andy leaped into the air, sending AJ across the ring with a hurricanrana. AJ stumbled to his feet holding his back and turned around into a dropkick. He was sent flying backward into a corner sitting down. Andy went through the air again with a hesitation dropkick. AJ held his abdomen as he rolled away while Andy climbed the turnbuckle. The returning wrestler went for a Coup De Grace, but AJ rolled out of the way. Andy hit the ground and spun around into a Pele kick. Andy stumbled backward and AJ jumped onto the ropes before springboarding out with a kick to the head. Andy's head whipped to the side before he fell to the canvas. AJ breathed heavily as he exited to the apron. When Andy returned to his feet, AJ launched over the ropes with his Phenomenal Forearm.

"Oh my god! Smackdown for the win!" AJ went for a pin, but Andy kicked out at two. AJ stared darkly at the referee before he stood to his feet. Andy stirred and AJ went to the apron again. Andy got to his feet and AJ launched through the air for another forearm. Andy lashed out at the last second with a super kick. "Super kick out of nowhere! Is that it!?" Andy went for the pin but AJ kicked out at the last possible moment. Andy stood to his feet and pulled AJ up. He delivered a chop to his chest that made AJ stumble with a pained face. Andy brought AJ'S face down onto his knee, causing him to bounce up. Andy went for a kick to the head, but AJ ducked down under it and lashed out with a kick to double Andy over. AJ caught him with the Styles Clash. "AJ hit it! That has to be it!"

"No! Andy got his foot on the rope!" The crowd cheered wildly as AJ got up in disbelief. He dragged Andy to his feet and went for another Styles Clash. Andy flipped AJ over his body and onto his back before coming to rest on the ropes. "AJ is trying so hard to put Andy away!" Andy pushed off the ropes and turned around. AJ grabbed his arm and Irish whipped him to a corner. Andy ran up the turnbuckle and performed a back flip over AJ'S head, to the excitement of the crowd. AJ turned around to a kick to the skull that knocked him into the corner.

Andy hurriedly made his way to the center of the ring before rushing at AJ and hitting him with a stinger splash. AJ held his chest and Andy Irish whipped him into the opposite corner. Andy cupped his hands around his mouth and gave a yell before rushing across the ring with another stinger splash. AJ stumbled out of the corner into a spinebuster. Filled with adrenaline, Andy spun in circles with his arms outstretched as the fans cheered loudly. Andy stopped and pointed his thumbs to his chest before bouncing off the ropes. He launched himself into the air before coming down onto AJ's face in a very Triple H like knee drop. AJ clutched his face as Andy stood to his feet. He gave a smug smirk as he pointed his hand like a gun at AJ, the fans screaming "Shot down!". Andy nodded and made his way to the corner.

"I think he's setting up for Andy's Out! Wait... no, he's not... he is! Andy's tuning up the band!" True to Michael Cole's words, Andy was stomping his foot into the mat as AJ tried to get to his feet. The stadium shook as the fans raciously stomped their feet. AJ finally found his feet and turned as Andy somewhat galloped across the mat. "Sweet Chin Music! Andy just hit him with the Sweet Chin Music!" Andy gave a slight chuckle as he stood over his opponent. Then, he he kept his elbows and upper arm close to his chest while out stretching his lower arm.

"What's he doing now!?" Jerry Lawler yelled as Andy dragged AJ to the center of the ring by his legs before wrapping them around one of his own. Andy flipped AJ onto his stomach and pulled back. "Sharpshooter! Andy had him in the Sharpshooter!" AJ screamed as he violently tried to somehow stretch his arm across the ring to the lower rope. Pain flared throughout his body as AJ clenched his teeth.

"He's tapping! AJ Styles is tapping to the Sharpshooter!" Andy released his opponent and stood to his feet, hands on his hips.

"Here is your winner, Andy Mercier!" The announcer called as Andy reached through the ropes to grab a microphone. The crowd cheered loudly as he tapped it to make sure it was working before speaking into it.

"Not going to lie, had a couple of moments where I thought I was losing my return match." The fans laughed as Andy gave a good naturedly smile while Mick Foley, Stephanie and Triple H walked down the ramp to the ring. "We got some air time left, so I have somethings I want to say." Andy was joined in the ring by the three management personal as AJ vacated the ring holding his back. "I'll be as straight down to Earth as I can with this. After I was hurt at NXT Takeover, I was done.

"I thought that I would never step foot in a wrestling ring again. I gave up all hope, and I hid away in my house. I spent every second watching wrestling while I was wrestling with depression because I felt, deep down in my heart, that I would never perform in front of you all again. The only reason I'm here tonight, is because of the people who supported me through that rough time. That means each and every one of you, who sent me get well cards, emailing me everyday, blowing up social media with get well soons. Showing up to events yelling we want Andy and showing my signs." A man lifted an Andy Mercier sign into the air while a female screamed 'I love you Andy!'

"There's two of them right now." Andy spoke jokingly, drawing laughter. "You guys, everything you've done in the past six months has made me push myself harder than I ever have to get back in this ring. But I didn't do that myself either. I had help with people slapping some sense into me. This man right here, Triple H, is responsible for me being here tonight." Triple H did a mock bow as the fans screamed 'Thank you Hunter!'. "That's right. He showed up at my house while I was wallowing in self pity and dragged me out. He dragged me out to meet some guys that needed to talk sense to me. Those men included heroes of mine. Bret the Hitman Hart." The crowd cheered at the name. "The Icon, Sting." The cheers grew louder. "And the Showstopper, Shawn Michaels." The cheering reached its peak and Andy nodded while licking his lips.

"They sat me down and talked to me. Each one of those four men have went through times where they thought they were done, they were in the same place as me. But they pushed forward! I'm not going to lie, it wasn't instantaneous. I went back to the United Kingdom and visited my mother's grave to talk to her. To find myself, and I realized that if I gave up at that moment then everything I've ever fought for was for nothing! All the late nights, all the pain, my entire life that I spent chasing my dream to be right here right now in front of all of you was for nothing and being in front of you all means everything to me!" The fans cheered wildly at the words. "So for the past five months I have healed and worked harder than ever before! I spent the last five months training under the Hitman, the King of Kings, the Franchise and Showstopper to be better in this ring than I have ever been!" Andy breathed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "And despite all that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for four more people sitting in the back somewhere.

"People who no doubt are mad because they didn't know I was making my comeback, and I'm sorry for that. Those four people are Becky Lynch. Brianna Kelly. Bayley. And my best mate Jordan Jermaine Sterling!" The fans clapped at the words. "They spent hours on the phone with me, face timing me, visiting me, listening to me drone on and on and on about my feelings. They were with me every step of the way and I am so thankful to them for everything they've done for me. So to the fans who have stuck with me through thick and thin. To the four men that talked sense into me and trained me to be better than ever. And to the four in the back that I know who will be with me the rest of my life. I love you all." The fans roared loudly and began a plethora of Chants for the returned wrestler.

Triple H stepped forward with his signature smirk. He and Andy put their hands together in the Too Sweet gesture before Hunter pulled him into a short one armed hug. Hunter grabbed his wrist and lifted it high in the air as Stephanie clapped with a smile. Mick Foley smiled as he spoke into a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, Raws new acquisition, Andy Mercier!" One for the Money by Escape the Fate played. Andy smirked as he aimed his hand like a gun at the camera as Triple H continued to raise his hand. This was the image the pay per view faded from.

Andy walked through the gorilla position into the hallways and was immediately met by three people. "You bloody wanker!" Jordan called as he happily pulled Andy into a headlock. "You should've told me you were coming back! And you got signed to Raw? Shame on you. You know Smackdown is better!" Andy grinned as Jordan let him go.

"You're a liar!" Brianna called with a laugh as she hugged the former NXT Champion. "You told me that you didn't know when you were coming back!" Andy chuckled as he patted the red haired woman on the head.

"It didn't get cleared until the last possible second." Andy responded before putting his index finger of his lips. "Very hush hush." Brianna slapped him in the arm, causing him to laugh as he rubbed the spot. He turned to the last person. "Good to see you again, Lass Kicker."

"You too, True Shooter. I'm glad you're back. Now this one here has somebody else to drag into trouble besides me." Jordan grinned cheekily.

"But he's on Raw sweetheart."

"I don't care. You'll be around him enough." Andy watched the two with amusement sparkling in his eyes before somebody slammed into his from behind, wrapping their arms around his waist.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to be here!?" Andy grinned as he turned in the hug to find Bayley.

"It was very hush hush." Bayley slapped Andy on the arm, in the exact spot Brianna had.

"You should've told us!" Bayley chastised him before dragging him into another hug. "But you're on Raw with me! That's so awesome! It'll be just like NXT!" Andy chuckled as he was dragged into a group hug. Jordan stood to the side and only joined with a roll of his eyes as Andy beckoned to him.

"Yeah. Just like NXT... Especially when I become the WWE Universal Champion!" The four other wrestlers backed away as Andy laughed somewhat maniacally. "Whose up for some laser tag!?" Jordan shook his head, seeing that his friend was basically drunk from his return.

"I got... cult... research to do..."

"I have... Lasses to kick?"

"I'm a hugger, not a laser tagger."

"No thanks. I've heard the stories."

"You're all just scared of my True Shootery..."

XXX

Wrap! Andy Mercier is back! Well, I mean, we didn't miss him that much because it's chapter to chapter, but it was six months later and... oh you get the point! Hey! Andy wears tights now! His tights were inspired by Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania 12 tights, and his logos were inspired by Dolph Ziggler's black tights with his initials. The boots, like the tights, are based off of Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania 12 attire. For an image of the way he wraps his hands you can find the white Finn Balor spiderman paint and the way he wraps his arms there are how Andy wraps his. And the way his hoodie hung over his head is supposed to be reminiscent of Cubone... from Pokemon... have at me... Also, the announce teams are now Michael Cole and Corey Graves for Raw and Tom Phillips amd Jerry Lawler for Smackdown. Why? I dont know know thats just kind of where I put them now that the Brand Split officially exists in the Mercier Verse. Well, until next time,

Ride the Mercier!

Well guys, I'm glad my Internet is down. Smackdown just unveiled their new titles. I had already written this chapter and Brianna had won what I had called the WWE International Women's Championship. So I had to go back and change that name, so if you saw anything on that I missed, sorry. Subsequently, this also means that Becky is no longer WWE Women's champion in this story. Unfortunately, I have to transfer it to Charlotte or Sasha who belong to Raw. I hadn't really thought that out to begin with but... yeah...


	23. Chapter 23

Blitzkrieg 1.2

"Welcome to Monday Night Raw, and we're coming off of an explosive Survivor Series!" Michael Cole exclaimed into his headset as Raw went live.

"That's right Cole. We had losing moments such as the traditional Survivor Series tag team match. But we had crowning moments too. Maybe none so big as taking home the win in the Brand Domination match."

"For those of you who don't know at home, Raws representative was the returning, newly acquired, Andy Mercier!" As Cole's voice finished it's statement, One for the Money filtered through the arena. The crowd launched to their feet in frenzy, watching in awe as Andy stepped out onto the Raw stage for the first time. He wore a blue flannel shirt with a black vest over it. A black cloth hood was attached to the neck. On the back was a skull shattered like a mirror with a bullet sailing through it. Over the skull read Mercier and under read Club with MC off to the side. He wore a pair of blue jeans and white sneakers. He chewed on a piece of gum as he stood on the stage, looking out at the crowd. He gave a smile before he began walking down the ramp. He paused at the end of the ramp before looking left and right. He cupped his hand to his right ear and pretended to strain to hear as the crowd screamed "Strong!". Andy nodded and moved his hand back and forth in a 'that's alright' manner before doing the same to the left side to the shout of "Style!". He chuckled and moved forward, climbing the steel stairs. He paused in the apron, staring out at the crowd before yelling 'The King is back!'. He entered the ring and retrieved a microphone before standing in the center of the ring as his music faded. He stood there a moment, drinking in the energy of the fans before finally speaking.

"It's been a long six months." He stated to the cheering crowd. "Forcing myself to get better. What with all the scratching and clawing and crying I did just to pick myself up off the mat and get back here to the WWE. But I'll tell you all right now, I am proud of every single scratch I left. Every claw I swiped. Every tear I cried. Because it lead me right back here. Where I belong." The fans clapped as they began chanting 'Welcome Back!'. "And now that I'm back, I don't plan on going away. As a matter of fact, I plan on going right to the top. When I left with my injury, I left having been the NXT Champion. NXT is a proving ground and even though I wasn't there long I think I proved what I can do. What do you guys think?" The fans cheered in response. Andy smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "Now that I'm here, I have one goal. To climb that ladder again and get back to the top. Except this time, you can all count on me being the WWE Universal Champion."

The crowd yelled their approval, and only got louder when Turn It Up by CFO$ began playing and Bayley rushed out onto the stage. She energetically made her way to the ring while interacting with the fans. She grabbed a microphone of her own and entered the ring. Andy smiled as she waved happily at the fans. "Hey Bayley. Can I help you? You're... kind of stealing my spotlight." He joked causing her to smile back and the fans to laugh.

"Sorry, that wasn't my intention." She responded. "I just wanted to come out and tell you how awesome I think it is that you're here on Raw! With me!" The fans cheered as Bayley nodded. "I mean, I love watching your matches and I didn't think we'd end up on the same show where I could watch them live anymore!" Andy chuckled at Bayley's eccentric personality.

"Well, here we are."

"Yeah, here we are." Bayley answered with a grin before shaking her head. "Oh! I also wanted to be the first member of the roster to officially Welcome you to Raw!"

"Well thank you." Andy spoke as he continued to chew his gum.

"You know, it's really not official until you hug on it." Andy raised an eyebrow as Bayley gave him a knowing nod with her eyes closed.

"Is that right?" Andy questioned as the crowd began a chant of 'Hug her!'. Bayley nodded with a smile and he chuckled. "Well then, let's make this official then." Bayley bounded forward and hugged Andy, who laughed and hugged her back as the fans cheered. Those cheers turned into boos, however, when Seth Rollins music played and the Universal Champion angrily marched down to the ring. He slid in and snatched Andy's mic from him, Bayley giving him her own with a somewhat pitying look.

"Yeah Yeah, boo. Hugging is great and all, but we're done with that." Seth spoke as he shooed Bayley. Andy put his arm out and stopped her from leaving before taking a step toward Seth.

"Do you have a problem Seth?" Andy questioned, causing him to grin.

"Problem? Yeah, I do. Let's go back to what you said before she came out here. You're going to be the WWE Universal Champion? In case you don't know, I'm the Champion. And there's no way that some nobody like you is going to come to my show and threaten my title reign. Since she was the first to welcome you to Raw, let me be the first to tell you to know your place."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Andy returned in a deadpanned voice.

"You must think you're really special." Seth spoke in a sarcastic tone. "But your biggest success was being the NXT Champion. Which isn't that much of an accomplishment when Seth Rollins was the first one to do that. Since then, I've been a WWE Tag Team Champion, a WWE Heavyweight Champion and I'm the current WWE Universal Champion." Andy stared at Seth with obvious disdain.

"Which would've been more impressive if you'd been the first." Andy spoke with a nod. "But that wasn't Seth Rollins was it? No, that was Finn Balor. And the only reasons he's not still the champion is because he got hurt." Seth angrily shook his head as the fans cheered.

"And that proves that I was the real winner!" He spoke angrily. "Because when it came down to it, I knocked Balor off! That's why I'm the Champion! And you know what!?" Seth lashed out with a kick that doubled Andy over before putting him in position for the pedigree as Bayley covered her mouth with her hands. Andy twisted out of it, knocking Seth off balance, before delivering a super kick to him that sent him to the mat. Andy rubbed his chin before lowering himself into a Shawn Michaels like pose with his hands pointing in either direction like a gun. He stood straight and retrieved his mic before looking down at Rollins.

"In case you didn't know." Andy drones out, somewhat mocking Seth's voice. "The man who innovated that move has been training with me for a few months. You'll have to try harder to surprise me." Andy dropped his microphone on Seth before holding his hand out to Bayley. She took it with a smile and he lead her to the ropes where he held them open for her to exit. He paused and pointed his hand at Rollins, shooting at him, before he vacated the ring to. One for the Money began playing as Seth propped himself against the ropes with an angry look.

"Andy Mercier making a statement here tonight." Cole spoke as Andy and Bayley disappeared to the back.

"Yeah, but it was a bad choice. He just super kicked THE man. That's not a good career choice." Corey returned as Seth used the ropes to stand to his feet while Raw went to commercial.

Andy rubbed his shoulder as he walked backstage. "You had to call out the top guy didn't you?" Bayley questioned as she poked Andy's shoulder, causing him to chuckle.

"That's what I did in NXT. That's how you make people notice you. You should know, you did the same thing to Becky when you debut." Bayley smiled sheepishly at the statement.

"Yeah, but Becky was okay with it." Andy gave a half hearted shrug.

"I don't care if Seth is okay with it or not. Especially after how he disrespected Finn when he had to relinquish his title." Bayley nodded in understanding as they rounded a corner. Triple H stood there with a smirk.

"Bold move kid." He spoke as he walked forward. "If you were anyone else, I might have your head. Seth Rollins was my hand picked future of the WWE. But I think you know how to play the game a little better than he does. So I'm going to give you the benefit without a doubt. Still, I'd worry less about Seth tonight, and more about your match. He's someone you know pretty well." Andy gave a brief nod in response before Hunter left the two wrestlers.

"I can't believe you're so casual with Triple H!" Bayley gushed. "I still call him Mr. Levesque!"

"Yeah. He doesn't like that." Andy returned as he began walking again. "And even if Hunter was a stick in the mud, that would've went away after the first few chest chops he gave me. Trust me, I was calling him something besides Hunter and Mr. Levesque." Bayley grinned at the man's words. They reached the Men's locker room and said their goodbyes before Andy went inside and started getting ready for his match. It wasn't too long until an official came for him. Andy jumped to his feet and swung his arms back and forth. He walked through the hallways to the gorilla position. He frowned as he listened to the next rance music of his opponent. It was Kevin Owens.

Kevin finished his entrance and waited for his opponent.

His nostrils flared as One for the Money began playing and Andy stepped through the curtains onto the stage. He wore black tights with his stylized initials printed on them in white. He had black knee pads with the same logos that blended into them and he wore the same boots as the previous night. His arms were still taped in the same way with white tape. He wore a shirt with the Phrase 'Stop the Show, Hire the Hitman, Protect the Franchise, Bow to the King and Ride the Mercier' over the image of a skeleton wearing black MMA gloves in front of a cage. Over this he wore an unzipped sleeveless hoodie with the word Bulletproof on the front of the hood. Wrappwd around his face was a black bandanna with the lower part of a skull and two revolvers crossed under it. Andy slowly reached up to remove the hood and pointed skyward. He lowered his hands to point at Owens with his hands like guns. He walked midway down the ramp like this before stopping. He stuck his right arm out to the crowd who yelled "Strong!" Before doing the same with his left to "Style!". Andy reached up and pulled his bandanna off to reveal a smirk.

He tossed the bandanna to the crowd and made his way down the rest of the ramp. He jumped through the air and landed on the apron, sitting there with one knee on it and the other leg hanging off. He pointed to himself with his free thumb and spoke a few words to the camera man before standing up and climbing the turnbuckle. He did his Hangman's Draw where he now let his upper body dangle before coming upright with his right arm extended high and his hand in the Too Sweet gesture. He then slowly lowered his arm to point his hand like a gun at Owens. Andy removed his hoodie and let it fall to the ground before taking his shirt off and tossing it to the crowd. Andy dropped into the ring and did a Shawn Michaels spin before stopping with his gun gesture trained on Kevin as his music died.

"And now we have Andy Mercier versus Kevin Owens. Bad blood between these two that started shortly after Andy's NXT debut. Yet, nowhere near the amount of bad blood between Owens and Andy's friend, Jordan Sterling."

"Yeah, but Owens will be picturing Jordan's head on his shoulders the entire time." Corey responded to Cole. "I respect Andy, but my money is on Kevin. Hands down." The referee called to both men before motioning for the bell to be rung. Andy and Kevin exited their corners and began circling each other. They locked up and Kevin kneed Andy in the side. Andy grit his teeth as he was pushed back before Owens head butted him. Andy stumbled, and Owens pulled him into a fallaway slam. Owens stomped on Andy's chest. Andy coughed in pain and slowly sat up, where Kevin kicked him in the back. Andy's back arched and Owens took the opportunity to kick him in the chest. Andy fell back into the mat where Owens dropped down on him with an elbow. Andy rolled away holding his chest and Kevin followed after him. He pulled Andy up by the back of his head and delivered a stiff punch to his face. Andy stumbled to the side and Owens followed after him again. A swift shot to the jaw sent Andy into the corner. Owens went for a clothesline, but Andy dodged out of the way. He delivered swift kicks to Owens back before springboarding of the ropes into an Enzuigiri. Owens head snapped to the side and he fell to the mat. Andy lightly bounced of the ropes and moved forward before dropping a fist down onto Owens face. The man thrashed and came to his knees where Andy lashed out with a flurry of kicks. Owens felt his chest as Andy rushed into the ropes. When he came close to Owens, Kevin jumped up and caught him in a sidewalk slam. Owens stomped to his feet with an angry yell.

He jerked Andy to his feet and elbowed him in the side of the head. Andy stumbled to the side where Owens lashed out with a kick that caused him to double over. Owens dropped his opponent to the ground with a DDT. Andy's head bounced off the mat and he landed on his back with a dazed look. Kevin reached down and slapped him while screaming 'Come on!'. "Owens blatant with the disrespect here." Cole spoke.

"That's not disrespect. That's a man proving that he's better in that ring." Owens dragged Andy back to his feet before Kneeing him in the gut. Kevin grabbed his arm and slung him into the ropes. Andy bounced back where Kevin launched him into the air for a pop up Powerbomb. Andy countered, dropkicking Owens, forcing him to the mat from the impact. When Kevin stood to his feet and was nailed with a super kick.

"Super kick! Andy's going for the pin!"

"No! This is a travesty!" Corey called as One for the Money blared through the arena. Andy shook his head as he stood to his feet, lifting his hands high. The crowd screamed as he was spun around and driven into the mat by a pedigree. "Yes! Seth Rollins righting the wrong here tonight!" Seth slowly stood to his feet as he stared down at Andy. He lifted his title high in the air and pointed to himself before he screamed at Andy.

"This is my show! And this is my title! I'm the man here!" Raw went to commercial with Seth Rollins standing over Andy.

"Had to go after the top guy didn't you?" Bayley questioned as he walked through the gorilla position holding his head. Andy gave her a sheepish grin.

"I beat Kevin Owens..?"

Jordan sighed as he talked into his cell phone. "Yeah. I know. Trust me, I'm going to take care of it. I don't think that's how the brand split works, mate. But yeah I'll give you a call if it gets out of control. Ok. I'll talk to you later, mate." Jordan hung up his phone and glanced up at Becky who was rubbing his shoulders.

"Andy?" Jordan nodded in response.

"Bloke worries too much."

"I don't know Jordan. I know you can handle yourself, but maybe you should have him on standby." Jordan sat and he looked like he was thinking about it before he shook his head.

"No. This needs to get taken care of immediately." With that, Jordan stood to his feet and kissed Becky on the forehead. "I'll be back soon." Jordan made his way through the hallways and blew right threw the gorilla position as Riot began playing wearing his workout gear. He walked to the edge of the ramp and looked around at the crowd with a focused look before walking down the ramp. He paused at the end and looked at the camera before jumping on the apron. He quickly entered the ring and grabbed a mic from an official. He motioned for his music to be cut before speaking.

"Bray Wyatt." He spoke harshly. "You have... a lot of explaining to do. I've never interacted with you before. But that didn't stop you from rolling me across the ring at Survivor Series. I don't know who your Sister Abigail is, and I don't know what these buzzards are you're talking about, but I know one thing. You need to come down the ramp, dragging your little rocking chair, so I can throw you through it." There was a pause as Jordan lowered his microphone and the only noise was from the crowd.

The lights shut off and Bray Wyatt appeared on the Titantron with Eric Rowan who held a lantern. Bray looked at the camera and laughed. "We're here." He spoke before blowing the lantern out. Their music began playing and everything was dark for a few moments. Then, the lights raised and Bray sat in his rocking chair at the end of the ramp with Eric standing right behind him. Bray rocked in his chair as his music played before he lifted a microphone up. "Jordan Sterling." He spoke in his unsettling voice. "Where did life go wrong for you?"

"The moment I saw you on my brand." Jordan shot back instantly.

"No. No, I've watched you for a while, Jordan. I've seen you reach for the very top and almost grasp it before sliding down your ladder. It all started... when you lost your brother in arms. He's back now, but it's not quite the same, is it? No, something else beckons you. Something else calls to you. A new brotherhood. You will join us, Jordan. And you will guide us to Sister Abigail!"

"Listen, the only thing I'm going to guide you to is my fist you-" Jordan's sentence was interrupted as a boot slammed into the back of his head.

"Oh my god! Roy Harper is attacking Jordan!" Michael Cole yelled as the third Wyatt attacked the former United States Champion. As Roy continuously punched Jordan, Bray slid into the ring. Roy shoved Jordan and Bray caught him with his back bent. Bray laughed and kissed his head before hitting him with Sister Abigail. Bray laughed harshly as he stared down at Jordan. "Follow the buzzards Jordan." Bray spoke into his mic as he lowered himself next to Jordan's head. "Sister Abigail is coming." Bray released his microphone and slid from the ring, followed closely by the rest of the Wyatt family.

Brianna walked through the backstage with her Smackdown Women's championship sitting proudly on her shoulder. She shot Jordan a sympathetic look as she passed him with Becky worrying over him. She exited the curtains and stood on the ramp as Meteor played and the fans cheered. Brianna smiled as a chant of 'Hawaii Five 0' began. She lifted her title in the air and the fans cheered louder. Brianna nodded and made her way down the ramp before entering the ring. She grabbed a microphone and held her championship on her shoulder. "You know, I thought that my dream had been validated the moment I became the WWE Women's Champion. But Sunday I realized that my dream will never end. Because I made history sunday. Not only did I become the first woman to holds the Smackdown Women's Championship, I became the first woman to hold the WWE Women's Championship AND the Smackdown Women's Championship!" The crowd cheered at these words. These cheers turned however as Alexa Bliss stepped out on the ramp to her music.

"That's great Brianna. It really is. But the only reason you're the champion and I'm not, is because I wasn't in your match. Despite everything you've done, you've never quite reached that 'top tier' like you wanted, have you? Not like me."

"I'm kind of busy Alexa, do you mind waiting for me to finish?" Brianna dismissed the blonde woman, causing her to glare at her.

"Don't try to ignore me! I should be the Smackdown Women's champion right now! Not you!"

"If you're so sure about that, why don't you come in this ring with me so I can prove you wrong?" Alexa shrugged with a smirk.

"I'd be happy to." She returned as she started to walk forward.

"Hold on, hold on!" Daniel Bryan's voice cut through the air as he walked onto the stage. "If you two want to fight, that's fine. But not here. Not tonight. You two can settle your score... next week. Alexa, if you win, you'll become the new number one contender. If not, you'll be pushed to the end of the line and someone else will get that shot." Smackdown went to commercial while Brianna nodded her head in response as Alexa yelled angrily at Daniel.

XXX

Wrap. My internet... still down. I'm not happy with that. Pretty mad about it. On a side note, I feel like I need to say that when I first made Andy that I never made him with a relationship in mind. Even though there's been elusions to possible ones, I haven't completely pulled the trigger on one because... I never made Andy to pair him with someone. I made him because I love wrestling. I don't really know who I might have Andy be with. If you guys have someone in mind, someone you think might work better than somebody else, keep in mind he won't always be the good guy too, let me know. I'll consider it. So far I've had Bayley, Brianna, Paige and Sasha Banks suggested. Bayley and Brianna have been the most prominent because, well they've always been the most prominent in the environments I've put Andy in.


	24. Chapter 24

Blitzkrieg 1.3

Seth Rollins stepped onto the stage to his music, smiling as he held the WWE Universal Championship. He held it high with one hand before he walked down the ramp. He paused at the middle and gave the fans a disgusted look as they chanted 'Mercier Club'. He gave them a dismissive wave of the arm before making his way down the rest of the ramp and climbing up the steel steps to enter the ring. He moved across the ring to get a mic and took his place in the middle of the ring. His music died down while he looked left and right with a smirk. "Are we bitter?" He questioned the fans mockingly. "Are we bitter that I pedigreed Andy Mercier in this ring last Monday? The returning hero, laid out.

"You see, there's no such thing as a hero. Because heroes let you down. They make promises that they can't fulfil. Like... like the one where a certain somebody says they're going to be the next WWE Universal Champion. Which is impossible because I am the champion! I am THE man, the best wrestler in this company! There's not a single person in the back that is a threat to my reign. So, Andy Mercier, what do you say about that, huh? What do you say when the facts are laid before you? Don't be scared. Come on out like a man." Seth stood in place for a moment, waiting. Then, he laughed. "That's what I thought, he's too scared to even-"

Seth was interested by a shrilling guitar chord, and the fans jumped to their feet when Bret Hart walked out onto the ramp wearing black glasses, Andy's latest tee shirt, his leather jacket, blue jean shorts and black tennis shoes. He walked down the ramp with his hands in his pocket while Seth yelled at him from the ring. Bret walked up the stairs and slowly entered the ring before taking a microphone from an official. He looked around at the fans as his theme music ended. "What are you doing out here?" Seth questioned spitefully. "In case you've forgotten, I know you're up there in age, but your days in the ring were about twenty years ago."

"I haven't forgotten anything." Bret responded calmly. "I definitely haven't forgotten that if it wasn't for me and the wrestlers from twenty years ago that you wouldn't be here today, so you might want to learn a little bit about respect." The fans cheered as Seth's nostrils flared angrily. "And the reason I'm out here is pretty simple. You see, I was just in the back visiting with Andy Mercier when I heard you out here talking. I assure you, he was on his way out here to face you like 'a man' when I told him to sit back. You see Seth, I think you're a little a little confused. You're not the best in this company." Rollins laughed at the statement.

"Oh yeah? Tell me, who is better than THE man? Nobody." Bret shook his head with a grimace.

"Seth, I used to call myself the same thing. I called myself the Best there was, the best there is and the best there ever will be. But I was wrong. After spending months with Andy Mercier, I firmly believe that he will be the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be." Seth ran a hand over his lower face and licked his lips, obviously irritated bt the Hall of Famer.

"You know, Bret, I used to be a fan of yours. But the older you've gotten, I think you've lost your touch with wrestling because there is nobody better than the man, Seth Rollins." Seth dropped his microphone and started to walk toward Bret, who backed away with his hand outstretched while shaking his head. Rollins paused when One for the Money began playing and Andy walked out onto the stage. He was already dressed for competition, wearing his white gear and hand tape along with his latest tee shirt from the week before. He walked straight down the ramp and leaped onto the apron before jumping over the top rope. Seth backed away as Andy came to stand by Bret. The two men exchanged a few pleasant words before Bret handed Andy his microphone and patted him on the shoulder. Bret vacated the ring and began walking up the ramp as Andy stared at Seth.

"You give a good pedigree, I'll give you that. Not as good as Hunter though." Seth angrily stared at Andy as he retrieved his microphone from the mat. "But Seth, if you aren't even the best at that, then how are you the best in the ring?"

"Because I'm the man!" Andy irate Rollins returned. "I am the top wrestler in the company! I'm the WWE Universal Champion! I'm the man to beat and there's nobody in this company that even holds a candle to me!" Andy gave Seth a disbelieving look before speaking.

"Since you're so confident in your abilities, why don't you put your money where your mouth is? Because I would love to be the one to shut you up." Seth dropped his microphone, an action Andy mimicked, before they got in each others face and started yelling as the fans cheered. Mick Foley's music caused them to cheer louder as the legendary wrestler stepped out on the stage.

"That's enough." Mick spoke into his mic as Seth shoved Andy. "Seth, there's no doubt that you're an amazing wrestler. You wouldn't be the WWE Universal Champion if you weren't. With that being said, Andy is also an amazing wrestler. And you're in need of a number one contender for the next Pay per view."

"So that's it?" Seth questioned angrily as the fans cheered. "He shows up and gets a shot at me? He doesn't even have to prove himself?" Mick gave a thoughtful nod before speaking.

"You're right. That's why I'm not giving him the title shot. Over the next few weeks, we'll have a tournament, and the winner will go on to face you for the WWE Universal Championship." Foley gave a happy nod as Seth began yelling angrily. "Andy, you're match will be right now." Foley began walking backstage. Rollins turned around into a Super Kick that caused him to drop to the mat and roll out of the ring. Andy laughed as he removed his shirt and threw it to the fans as Chris Jericho made his way down to the ring. He entered the ring and walked toward Andy with his hand outstretched, yelling at him. A referee slid into the ring and made him step back into his own corner. He looked back and forth before calling for the bell. Andy and Jericho walked out to the center of the ring and circled one another for a brief second before they locked up. Chris pulled Andy into a headlock but Andy shoved him away. Chris turned around and ducked under a kick to the head before smashing his forearm into his opponents face. Andy stumbled back holding his face before Chris ran forward and slammed his knee into Andy's gut, causing him to flip over his leg and onto his back. Jericho dropped down onto Andy with an elbow drop that caused Andy to hold his chest. Jericho reached down and dragged him to his feet before delivering a chop to his chest. Andy stumbled forward and Jericho lashed out with a kick that knocked Andy's feet out from under him. Chris stomped on Andy's chest and bounded into the ropes. When he came back, he received a elbow to the face. Jericho fell to the mat before Andy dropped a knee down on him.

Jericho rolled across the mat before he was pulled to his feet. Andy kicked one leg out from under him, causing Chris to fall to one knee, before Andy grabbed him and dropped him to the canvas with a DDT. Jericho felt at his head as he made his way to his feet. A springboard hurricanrana sent him back across the mat. He stood to his feet and was hit with a flying Yakuza kick. Jericho stumbled back before falling into the corner where Andy followed up with a hesitation dropkick. Jericho rolled out of the corner as Andy grabbed the two top ropes. Then, Andy released the ropes and moved forward, jumping into the air and coming down with a knee drop before rolling across the mat. He came back to his feet as Jericho thrashed on the ground. Andy reached down to pick Jericho up, but the other man jabbed a thumb near his eye. Andy stumbled back, grabbing it.

Jericho moved forward and hit his opponent with an Enzuigiri. Andy's head jerked to the side before he fell to his knees. Jericho took a few steps back before rushing forward and Kneeing his opponent in the face. Andy fell to his back on the mat, and Jericho stomped on him a few times. Chris stopped the assault and stepped away, letting Andy get to his feet. He rushed forward and jumped into the air, going for the Code breaker. Andy grabbed the man by his back and used his own momentum to Sling him across the ring, effectively avoiding the move. Jericho rolled to his feet and was hit by a flying forearm. He hurriedly got back up and was hit by another. Again he got to his feet and was hit with Andy's forearm. This time, Andy rolled in midair, landing on his back before he performed a kip-up. He spun in place with his arms outstretched before jabbing his thumbs into his chest and calling to the crowd as they cheered. "Andy's tuning up the band!" Michael Cole called as Andy stomped the mat. Chris got to his feet, and Andy went to kick him in the face. Chris dodged down before popping up and bringing Andy's face down onto his knees.

"Oh! But all he got was a Code Breaker for his troubles!" Corey retorted as Jericho made for the pin. Andy got his shoulder up at two, forcing Jericho to go back on offensive. Jericho grabbed his legs and tried to out the Walls of Jericho in, but Andy used his feet to shove him away. Chris bounced off the ropes and straight into a Super kick. Andy fell to one knee before grabbing Jericho's legs and dragging him to the center of the ring. He wrapped his opponents legs around one of his own before turning him onto his stomach.

"Sharpshooter! Andy has the Sharpshooter locked in!" Chris yelled in pain as he struggled to break the submission. Before he could reach the ropes, Andy lifted his weight and dragged him back to the middle of the ring. When it looked like Jericho was about to tap, he forced Andy to flip forward, breaking the Sharpshooter. Andy hurriedly got to his feet and Jericho went for another code breaker. Andy launched him across the ring again. When Chris came to his knees, Andy hit him with a Frankensteiner Driver. Jericho's body shot upright and Andy hit him in the back of the head with a Kinshasa. "Andy's Out!"

"No! This is a travesty! Chris should've won that!" Corey complained as One for the Money filtered through the arena. Andy slowly stood to his feet where he looked down at Jericho. He glanced to the camera before using his hands to motion around his waist. Then, he pointed his hand like a gun at the camera and shot it before exiting the ring and walking up the ramp.

Andy walked through the curtain backstage and navigated his way through the hallways. He stopped when he noticed a familiar brunette. "Hey Bayley." He spoke as she made her way over to him.

"Hey. Great match out there!" She responded, causing him to nod his head.

"Thanks. I-" Andy was interrupted and Bayley screamed as Seth Rollins barreled into him. Andy fell to the ground, holding the back of his head where Rollins had hit him with his championship. Seth stared down at him hateful lyrics before reaching down and dragging Andy to his feet.

"Stop!" Bayley yelled. Seth gave her a brief glance before slamming Andy's head into the brick wall twice. Bayley continued to yell as Seth spun around and sent him through a wooden catering table. Rollins bent down to stare at Andy before he moved away when Bayley jerked on his shoulder. He watched as she went to her knees to check on Andy before chuckling.

"I'm the man around here." He called as officials rushed the area while he backed away. "I'm the Champion! Don't forget that!"

"I'd feel a lot better if you had Andy with you." Becky spoke as she and Jordan sat backstage. Jordan glanced to her as he rolled his hands with tape.

"You always say that. Trust me, I'd feel better about it too. But he's on Raw. It's a lot harder to get Mick and Daniel to come to an agreement about letting one talent come to the other brand than you might think." He responded as he finished his task. Jordan stood to his feet and kissed Becky's cheek. "We'll talk about it later." Becky gave Jordan a reluctant nod and he made his way to the gorilla position. He sat there, waiting for his music when he heard Bray Wyatt's. He watched a nearby monitor as the Wyatt family walked down to the ring with Luke and Erick placing Bray's rocking chair in the middle of it.

Bray sat down in the chair and took a microphone offered to him from Luke. Bray rocked in his chair a few times as he listened to the crowd before he spoke. "Jordan. I know you're waiting in the back to come and get me. But before you do, think. I've gotten you twice now. Why is that? It's because you're not on the same plane as me. I have transcended mortality and entered a realm of my own. I am the eater of worlds. Follow the buzzards Jordan. Join me and I will grant you power that you can only dream of."

The fans cheered as Riot played through the speakers. Jordan stepped out on the stage and began marching down the ramp. "There you are, Jordan." Bray spoke as he turned in his rocking chair to look at the approaching man. "If I were you, I would stop. The numbers simply aren't with you my friend." Jordan paused at the end of the ramp, observing Bray and the two other members of the Wyatt family who stood by the ropes, waiting for Jordan to enter the ring. "But Jordan, they could be with you. Follow me Jordan, and I will a world beyond any dream you can imagine. And you will finally bring about the coming of Sister Abigail."

Jordan stood at ringside before rushing forward and sliding into the ring. Before Luke and Erick could react, Jordan launching himself through the air and crashed into Bray. His rocking chair fell over backward as Jordan began striking at his face. He only got a few good shots in before Luke and Erick were upon him. A violent kick to his ribs sent him to the mat on his back. Then, a barrage of stomps assaulted him. He was flung to his feet and bounded of the ropes before Erick and Luke caught him, slamming him to the ground. Jordan grit his teeth as he was hauled back to his feet. A kiss to his head and he was slammed into the mat with a Sister Abigail. Bray kneeled by Jordan and laughed as Luke and Erick stood by him. Bray grabbed his microphone and slid from the ring as the rest of the Wyatt family retrieved his chair. "Soon Jordan. Soon you will be ready to join us."

Brianna walked through the hallways of Smackdown with her title on her shoulder. She came to the gorilla position as Alexa Bliss was finishing her entrance. Meteor began playing before she exited the curtains. The crowd began their Chants of 'Hawaii Five 0' as Brianna stood on the stage holding her title. She made her way down the ramp and touched hands with the fans before entering the ring. She handed her title off to an official outside the ring before taking her place in her corner. The referee looked to either woman before calling for the bell. Brianna and Alexa immediately went for one another. Brianna dodged a forearm and sent a kick to Alexa that the blonde woman caught. Alexa pulled Brianna forward by her foot and hit her in the face with her elbow. Brianna hit the mat before Alexa stomped on her leg. Brianna grit her teeth and rolled away. She got to her feet before being hit with a running forearm. A kick to her stomach made Brianna hold her abdomen in pain. Alexa pulled her to her feet before kicking one of her legs out from under her. Brianna came down on one knee before a well placed kick to the face sent her on her back. Alexa bounced off the ropes and was forced to jump over Brianna as she rolled along the ring mat. When Alexa came back she was hit with a shoulder block. She was quick to return to her feet but Alexa had already bounced off the ropes and hit her with a flying hip attack. Alexa fell down and Brianna dropped a knee onto her face. Alexis thrashed and rolled away before coming to her knees where a stiff kick made her head snap to the side.

Alexa quickly fell to the mat before Brianna dragged her back up. Brianna hit her with a forearm before tossing her to the corner. She followed after and hit Alexa with a running elbow. The blonde headed woman stumbled forward where Brianna flipped her to a sitting position before kicking her in the back. Alexa arched her back in pain as Brianna bounced off the ropes before coming back and Kneeing her opponent in the face. Alexa rolled for a second before coming to her feet. Brianna made to grab her, but Alexa grabbed her and tripped her feet out from under her. Brianna got hung up on the ropes and Alexa kicked her in the back. Alexa pulled Brianna by her hair before slamming her to the mat. Alexa quickly did the insult to injury, slamming her knees into her opponent. Brianna cried out in pain as Alexa stood to her feet with a smug expression. She grabbed Brianna and slowly dragged her to her feet. Brianna broke the hold and smashed her forearm into her face before kicking her in the abdomen. Alexa was driven to the mat with a lifting single underhook DDT. Alexa hit the mat and bounced up before she lay on the mat. Brianna stood to her feet and waved the Shaka hand sign before pulling Alexis into a Bridging Muta Lock.

"A Kelly Maneuver into a Melanie Rose! And Alexa is tapping!" Meteor began playing again as Brianna stood to her feet. She retrieved her title and held it high as the fans chanted loudly.

"And that means that Alexa will NOT be going on to challenge Brianna for the Smackdown Women's Championship. It makes you wonder who is going to be the one to step up and challenge Brianna for that coveted title." Jerry responded to Phillips. Suddenly, Brianna hit the mat as Carmella attacked her from behind. The announcers cried out in shock as she launched into a flurry of strikes before kicking the champion in the gut. Brianna doubled over where Carmella dropped her with a lifting single underhook DDT.

"Oh my god! Carmella just attacked Brianna and used the Kelly Maneuver on her! Talk about adding insult to injury!" Carmella exited the ring and grabbed a microphone. She laughed as she walked up the ramp to the backstage area.

"How are you doing, Brianna?" Carmella questioned mockingly as the champion felt her neck while lying in the ring. "I just wanted to come out and let you know that I'm the one you can look forward to losing your title to in a couple of weeks. Enjoy holding my title while it lasts."

"Well, I guess that answers your question Jerry. Stay tuned, Smackdown will be right back." Phillips spoke as the show faded to commercial.

XXX

Wrap. Just wanted to clear up that I love Seth Rollins. In real life it's obvious that Seth did not cause Finn's injury. Finn stuck his arm out trying to break some of the impact on the barrier and botched his landing. I love Finn and he's an amazing wrestler. But I stand behind what I said when he and Seth were announced to face off at Summer Slam. They were pushing him too soon. It was genius to have Seth come out after Finn because that generated heat on him and is one of the only times I've seen him just straight up booed. That being said, Seth is the guy to go after and with the Mercier Verse being a shoot, it made sense for me to do things the way I did. I don't think there's anything else that I need to talk about.


	25. Chapter 25

Blitzkrieg 1.4

Andy rolled his shoulder as he walked through the halls. He wore blue tights with his white initials, blue knee pads that blended in, his black and white boots and his hands taped like normal except with black tape. He had pulled on a dark blue sleeveless hoodie that read Mercier Club on the back. He came to the gorilla position and pulled the hood up over his head as his opponent, Sami Zayne, walked down to the ring. After he had entered and his music died, One for the Money began playing. Andy rolled his shoulders and broke through the curtains to the cheers of the crowd.

Andy stood still on the top of the stage before he reached up and pulled his hood off. He stared down at the ring with a smirk before spinning with his arms outstretched. He stopped and cupped his hands around his mouth, giving a howl before moving doing the ramp with a cry of "Strong Style Shooter!". He paused midway down the ramp and pointed his hands like guns at his opponent. He formed the Too Sweet hand sign and touched hands with fans before walking down the rest of the ramp and jumping onto the apron. He climbed the turnbuckle before doing his Hangman's Draw. Andy smirked as Sami mouthed 'Cute' to him, filling him with a sense of Dejavu. Andy dropped down into the ring and walked forward to come face to face with Sami as his music died. The two wrestlers stared each other down before they shook hands to the crowds enjoyment. "I have you tonight." Sami spoke, drawing a laugh from Andy.

"We'll see about that." Andy responded before they moved backward into their respective corners. The referee checked back and forth on them multiple times before he called for the bell. Andy and Sami broke from their corners and began circling each other. They locked up and Sami sent a well placed knee to Andy's ribs. Andy pulled down on Sami before smashing his forearm into his face. Sami broke his hold and Andy flipped him into a sitting position before Kneeing him in the back. Andy bounced off the ropes and came back for a knee, but Sami ducked down before popping up. Andy turned around into a quick clothesline before Sami stomped on his chest. Sami pulled him to his feet and Irish whipped him into the ropes. Andy held onto the top rope, avoiding Sami's dropkick. Sami was quick back to his feet and rushed Andy, who sent him over the ropes. Sami landed on the apron before Andy hit him with a Pele kick, knocking him to the outside. Andy hit the ropes and launched himself over the opposite ones with a spaceman moonsault planca that sent him and Sami to the ground. Andy stood to his feet and hit Sami with a running knee as he came to his knees. Sami stared up at the ceiling, dazed, as Andy slid into the ring and launched himself to the top turnbuckle. Andy jumped through the air with a moonsault to ringside before smacking into the ground as Sami dodged away.

"Oh wow! Did you see the impact off of that!? Sami has an amazing opportunity to capitalize and move onto the finals of this tournament!" Andy slowly got back to his feet and turned as Sami launched himself through the turnbuckles and caught him with a DDT. Andy bounced up off the ground and Sami forced him to stand on his feet before sliding him into the ring. Sami slowly followed after and when Andy got to his feet he was hit with a dropkick.

"Sami Zayne is so impressive with those dropkicks!" Corey complimented as Andy flew across the ring. Andy slowly picked himself up with the help of the ropes before falling back into a corner. Sami rushed across the ring and went for his Helluva Kick. Andy dodged to the side at the last second. As Sami tried to get himself unstuck from the corner, he was hit with a super kick. His head shot to the side and he fell backward.

"Super kick!" Cole called as Andy slowly dragged Sami to the center of the ring. "And that's a Shawn Michaels level super kick!" Andy dragged Sami up with his back bent before dropping him to the canvas with an inverted DDT. "Scorpion Death Drop!" Andy threw one arm over Sami's chest as the referee began his count. "That was it! That Death Drop was the icing on the cake!" Michael called as One for the Money played through the arena. Andy stood to his feet before spinning wildly and coming down into a Shawn Michaels pose with his hands pointed in either direction like a gun. "Andy Mercier extremely happy tonight. He'll be moving on to the tournament finals next week."

"Yeah, well he better watch his back. With each week that passes he just makes the man madder and madder." Corey responded as Andy climbed the turnbuckle to point his hands like guns at the crowd. He dropped back to the mat and dodged to the side as Seth Rollins made to slam his title into Andy's head. The champion turned around into a Super Kick. Seth fell back into a corner and Andy cupped his hands around his mouth with a howl before he launched forward with a stinger splash. Seth stumbled forward where he was kicked in the gut. As he doubled over, Andy set him up for a pedigree, but Seth spun out of it and quickly exited the ring. "There you go Seth! That's a tactical retreat right there! Hey, what's he doing!?"

Andy launched himself over the ropes with a Tope con Hilo, slamming into Seth and sending him to the ground. Andy slid back into the ring with a smirk and picked up Seth's dropped championship. "He better put that down!" Corey continued ranting as Andy lifted the title high in the air while Seth screamed angrily. Andy placed the title in the middle of the ring and exited as Raw went to commercial.

Backstage, Andy drank heavily from a water bottle as he made his way to the men's locker room. He chuckled as someone slammed into him from behind, wrapping their arms around his waist. "Hey there Bayley." He turned in her hold to stare at her as she smiled up at him.

"Hey! You'll never guess what I just found out!" She responded as Andy clicked his tongue. He reached to a nearby catering table and grabbed a pack of gum before throwing a piece in his mouth as Bayley waited for him to speak. He chewed a couple times before talking.

"Shawn is coming out of retirement to fight me in one final match?"

"No! Why would I- wait is that actually happening?" Bayley questioned in excitement before Andy shook his head.

"No. I wish. Anyway, what's your news?"

"I'm going to face Charlotte for the WWE Women's Championship at the pay per view!" Andy nodded with an impressed look on his face.

"Congratulations. We should celebrate! Say, that movie we never got to see because I got injured? It's on me." Bayley grinned brightly with a nod.

"I'd love that Andy. Let me go get ready and I'll be right back!" Bayley spoke as she rushed down the hall.

"Don't rush! I still have to get... ready. She'll figure out." Andy spoke to himself as he made his way to the men's locker room once again.

"I love you." Becky spoke to Jordan as he rolled his hands, preparing for his match.

"I love you too sweetheart." He responded immediately as he finished rolling his tape. He stood up and stretched his arms back and forth before shadow boxing for a few seconds.

"I'm worried though. Bray keeps getting the better of you. He has the numbers advantage. And now you're fighting Luke Harper tonight. They're going to try to hurt you." Jordan jumped up and down for a few seconds before giving a slight shrug.

"They won't be the first ones." He replied before making his way to the gorilla position. Luke Harper was already in the ring waiting, but the other two members of the Wyatt family were missing. Jordan took a deep breath as Riot began playing before he walked out into darkness. When the lights raised, Jordan was violently trading blows with Erick Rowan. Jordan caught him with a knee to the gut and quickly Powerbombed him onto the ramp. He stood to his full height and his head whipped to the side due to a big boot from Luke. Jordan stumbled backward and came to one knee as Luke descended upon him, delivering violent blows to the head. Jordan shoved Luke backward and launched upward with a spear. Luke hit the metal of the ground as Jordan rolled to his feet. Somebody crashed into him from behind and began punching at the back of his head. He came to his knees and was kicked in the back. He fell to his hands and knees before he was dragged to his feet.

Bray held Jordan with his back bent and prepared to deliver a Sister Abigail. Jordan fought against him violently and broke his hold. Jordan kicked Bray in the gut and launched forward with another spear. Jordan jumped to his feet with a roar as the fans cheered him on. He backed away and began Stalking Bray Wyatt. When the man came to his hands and knees, Jordan rushed forward to punt him in the skull. Before he could reach him, Erick and Luke were upon him, assaulting him with kicks and punches. They pulled Jordan to his feet before lifting him high in the air and threw him from the stage to the floor by it. Jordan laid in place with his back arched. Bray stood to his feet and threw his hair back with a laugh as he grabbed a microphone from Luke. "You still have fight in you Jordan. I like that. But you won't much longer. Next week, Sister Abigail will be here. And you will lead us to her. Follow the buzzards Jordan." Bray dropped his microphone with a laugh as he and the rest of the Wyatt family made their way backstage as Smackdown went to commercial.

When it came back, Meteor was playing and Brianna was already halfway down the ramp with her belt strapped around her waist as the crowd chanted 'Hawaii Five 0'. Brianna touched hands with fans and signed a poster board that read 'From faceless to champion' before entering the ring. Brianna walked across the mat and grabbed a microphone before waiting for her music to stop. She glanced left and right before speaking. "Aloha." She said, causing a cheer from the crowd as they began a brief chant of 'Aloha' causing Brianna to smile. "So, if you were all watching Smackdown last week, you know that Alexa is NOT my number one contender. But Carmella is. Carmella, there are a lot of ways to get attention from the champion. The way you went about it last week probably wasn't the smartest. Not only did you attack me after my match, you used my own move against me. So, if you're as tough as you think you are, why don't you out here and meet me face to face."

Brianna lowered her mic and waited for a moment. The crowd booed as Carmella came out onto the ramp to her music, moonwalking before looking down to the ring with a smirk on her face. She already had a microphone and raised it up so she could speak. "Hey Brianna, how are you doing?" She questioned. "Better than last week when I planted your face into the mat?"

"You talk a really big game, Carmella." Brianna responded as she leaned on the top rope to stare up the ramp at Carmella. "But you still haven't stepped into the ring with me without taking me by surprise. Come on. The invitation is open. I'll even hold the ropes open for you." Brianna spread the top and middle ropes open, motioning for Carmella to come down as the fans cheered.

Carmella yelled down at her off mic while nodding. Then, she stood still and shook her head with a smirk. "Not tonight." She stated as the crowd booed again. "I got better things to do than put you to shame again. I'll be doing that in the future when I take the Smackdown Women's Championship away anyway."

"You're a coward." Brianna spat as she moved away from the ropes. "You-" Brianna hit the mat as Alexa Bliss slammed her forearm into her from behind. Alexa pulled Brianna to her feet before they started trading blows. Brianna kicked Alexa in the gut and turned around into a lifting single underhook DDT.

"And for the second week Carmella uses the Kelly Maneuver against Brianna!" Phillips called as Carmella rolled the champion near the corner while unstrapped her title and tossing it across the ring. Alexa climbed to the top rope before coming down with the Twisted Bliss. Brianna held her abdomen as she rolled onto her stomach. Alexa and Carmella stared down at her before Alexa lifted Carmella's arm as her music played with a smirk. Smackdown faded to commercial as the two women exited the ring.

"You're such a cheater!" Bayley laughed as she and Andy played a game in Andy's hotel room. Andy had 'accidently' knocked the referee out and had just hit her character with a steel chair.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Andy returned as he made to super kick her character. Bayley reversed and delivered her own finisher to him as the referee groggily climbed to his feet. "No way!" Andy yelled as he dropped his controller and jumped from his place on the floor to where Bayley sat on his couch, tickling her. Bayley kicked her feet as she laugh, dropping her own controller as she tried to wiggle away.

"Stop!" Bayley called out of breath. "You're such a sore loser!" Andy laughed as Bayley lightly punched his chest.

"Now it's time for my finisher! The claw!" Bayley squealed as Andy formed a claw and began tickling her all over again.

"I'm not three years old!" Bayley yelled as Andy dropped back on the couch. The two stared at each other as Bayley tried to catch her breath with a smile before Andy's phone rang. He reached over and grabbed it.

"Hello?"

XXX

Wrap. So next chapter we get the reveal of who Bray claims is Sister Abigail. And we'll get to the next Pay per view which I'm not sure what it is because my stupid Internet is still gone. I've never been more conscious about my data than I was uploading two chapters. Jordan gets ready to move onto bigger and better things. Miss Hawaii Five 0 looks to take down the threats to her title but only gets herself deeper in trouble. And Andy gets a long road ahead of him. Stay tuned and,

Show no Mercier!


	26. Chapter 26

Blitzkrieg 1.5

Andy and Bayley walked into the Raw arena side by side. Bayley laughed as Andy spoke while chewing on a piece of gum. "So Jordan and I are out with the fans, and it's cold. They're antsy because they haven't been let in and no one's told them that Smackdown has to wait because they're having technical difficulties. We're signing autographs and talking with them to keep them calm, and all of a sudden-" Andy stopped mid sentence as he rounded a corner into Byron Saxton, the Raw interviewer. He gave a small sigh as the man approached him.

"Andy, do you have a minute?"

"I guess I do. But, you can't be hiding around corners waiting on me. That was Renee and my thing. And now that she's on Smackdown and I'm on Raw its... too soon Byron. It's too soon." Byron raised an eyebrow at Andy before giving Bayley a confused look. She shook her head with a smile.

"Right... tonight you are participating in the final match if the tournament to determine the number one contender for the WWE Universal Championship. The winner, obviously, goes on to face Seth Rollins this sunday for the title. How do you feel about that?" Andy chewed on his gum and thought about the words before replying.

"I feel like I'm going to go out there tonight and give this match everything I have. And then I'll go on to give it everything this Sunday. Just like I always do. I just hope Seth Rollins is ready to give it his all." Byron nodded in response.

"Well thank you for your time and good luck in your match." Andy flashed him a half hearted smile before he and Bayley continued the path they had been on before.

"Now where was? Oh yeah, we were signing autographs and this lady just screams 'I love you Jordan!'. Without even thinking I turn around and yell 'He told you to wait in the car!'. Jordan was so embarrassed and the fans thought that I was completely serious."

Andy sighed as he rubbed the back of his head while he waited for his opponent to finish his entrance. It was Braun Strowman. Ironic considering Jordan's predicament happening on Smackdown. Andy rolled his shoulders as the large man settled himself in the ring. One for the Money played and Andy stepped onto the stage to the fans cheers. He wore red tights with his initials in white. There were red knee pads that blended in with his tights and he wore his black and white 'KING' boots and his white tape on his arms. He wore a Bret 'The Hitman' Hart shirt over which he wore his leather Mercier Club jacket loosely off his shoulders with its hood pulled over his head. He reached up and removed his hood before lowering his hands like guns to point at Braun. Andy cupped his hands around his mouth with a howl and walked halfway down the ramp before out stretching his arms to "Strong!". He rushed down the rest of the ramp and spun to do it again to "Style!". He turned around with a smirk on his face before jumping on the apron. He climbed the turnbuckle and did his Hangman's Draw before dropping in the ring. He did a Shawn Michaels spin before stopping and pointing his hand like a gun at his opponent as his music died.

He backed up in his corner as the referee looked back and forth between him and Braun before calling for the bell. Andy shot out of his corner and moved back and forth as Braun stayed rooted in place. Andy got close and lashed out with a kick that Braun took while standing still. Andy kicked him a few more times before Braun caught his leg. He launched Andy across the ring and moved forward. Andy was quick back to his feet and dropkicked Braun. The big man took a couple steps back and when Andy was back on his feet rushed forward. His body slammed into the smaller man and Andy hit the mat. Braun reached down and jerked Andy to his feet by his shoulders before delivering an elbow to the top of his skull. Andy stumbled back and Braun crashed into him again. The larger man grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled him to his feet before lifting him up for a fallaway slam. Andy arched his back and Braun bounced off the ropes before coming back and dropping his full weight down on Andy. The referee slid to the mat and began a count as Braun held him in place but Andy quickly got his shoulder up.

Braun got to his feet while simultaneously picking Andy up before he launched Andy across the ring into a corner. Braun ran at him with an angry scream, but Andy dodged to the side. Braun slammed into the turnbuckles and Andy hit him with a springboard Enzuigiri. Braun's head snapped to the side and he stumbled back. Andy jumped onto the second rope before launching off with a missile dropkick to his opponents chest. Again, Braun only stumbled. Andy bounced off the ropes and ran at the larger man. Braun caught him and launched him into the air before slamming him down to the mat. Andy stared up at the ceiling, dazed and out of breath. Braun went for another pin but Andy again kicked out. Braun held his opponent close to him and stood to his feet before nailing Andy to the mat with a power slam. He pinned again for a near fall.

Braun pulled Andy to his feet and launched him into the ropes. Andy came back with a flying forearm that made the man waver in his feet. Andy hit another forearm and Braun showed a dazed look on his face. A third finally knocked the larger man onto his back while Andy performed a kip-up. Andy spun in a circle before ending up in a corner. "Andy's tuning up the band, the signature of his idol Shawn Michaels!" Cole cried as Corey complained.

"Braun has been dominating this match! There's no way Andy should be able to pull this upset off!" Braun got to his feet and Andy galloped across the ring to deliver a super kick.

"Sweet Chin Music!" Cole cried with satisfaction. Braun stumbled back, elbowing the referee as he bumped into him, before falling to his knees. With the referee now turned around and holding his face, Andy hit the larger man with a Frankensteiner Driver. He went for a Kinshasa, but when he turned around he was driven to his mat by a pedigree.

"Yes! The man making himself known here tonight!" Corey called as Rollins slid from the ring. Braun slowly covered Andy as the referee regained himself.

"I don't know why you're so happy. Seth Rollins just cost Andy the chance to face him for the WWE Universal Championship." Cole shot back as Braun Strowman's music played. Seth smirked as he made his way up the ramp to the backstage area.

"So you're set?" Jordan questioned through his phone as he and Becky walked together backstage at Smackdown. "Smashing. I'll see you then." Jordan glanced to Becky who smiled at him. She gave him a nod and a kiss before making her way to the women's locker room. Jordan walked to the men's locker room and sat in front of the television, watching. Waiting.

Meteor played and Brianna stepped on stage to the Chants of 'Hawaii Five 0'. She gave them the Shaka sign before she made her way down to the ring where Alexa Bliss waited for her. She entered the ring and handed her title to the referee, who handed it to an official outside before checking with both women. He called for the bell and Brianna rushed forward. She pinned Alexa back into her own corner before launching into a series of strikes. Brianna stepped back when the referee forced her to. Alexa stumbled forward into a DDT from Brianna. Alexa flipped onto her back and Brianna dropped a knee down on her face twice. Alexa thrashed and held her face as she rolled away. She stood to her feet and was hit with a running forearm. Alexa came back to her feet and Brianna went for another forearm, but Alexa dodged to the side and wrapped her legs around Brianna's, dropping her to the mat. Alexa shouted at her opponent before pulling her to her feet by her hair. She gave Brianna a short arm clothesline before dropping an elbow down on the champion.

Brianna rolled and when she became still Alexa hit her with her insult to injury. Brianna cried out in pain as the air was driven out of her body by Alexa's knees. Alexa stood back to her feet and pulled Brianna up before dropping her back to the mat with a DDT. Alexa climbed the turnbuckle and went for the Twisted Bliss, but Brianna rolled out of the way. Alexa slowly climbed to her feet and was kicked in the abdomen. She doubled over before she was hit with a lifting single underhook DDT.

"The Kelly Maneuver! And now the Melanie Rose!" Phillips called as Brianna pulled her opponent into her signature submission. It wasn't long until Meteor played again as Alexa tapped out. Brianna stood to her feet with a smile as she gave the fans the Shaka sign. She went to retrieve her title when the lights cut out. Bray Wyatt appeared on the Titantron with the rest of the Wyatt family before he spoke.

"We're here." He blew out the lantern held by his brothers before their music began playing. The members of the Wyatt family made their way down the ramp with Bray taking his place in his rocking chair. Brianna looked around in horror as she found that three sides of the ring were surrounded by the Wyatt family. Bray rocked a few times in his chair before he spoke. "Brianna Jacqueline Kelly. The Mujina." Bray gave his signature chuckle as he stood out of his chair, Erick and Luke climbing onto the apron. "I've watched you for a long, long time.

"You see, I follow the prophecy of Sister Abigail. The words written about her, of how she is to come. Of how she will lead her followers to greatness. She will come as a faceless champion for those those whose dreams have been crushed." Bray climbed onto the front apron before the three Wyatt family members entered the ring and surrounded the Smackdown Women's champion. "And once she has secured her place in history, she will be ready to take her place at the head of her followers. I knew from the moment you walked down the ramp as 'Mujina' that you, Brianna Jacqueline Kelly, are Sister Abigail. And it is time for you to take your place at the head of the Wyatt family." Bray dropped his mic and walked toward the woman as his brothers followed suit.

Then, the lights shut out. The fans screamed and when the lights returned, Bray looked around the ring where Luke and Erick were laid out. At the top of the ramp, Jordan and Brianna stood with two men with their backs to the crowd that had black jackets with the hoods pulled over their heads. "Hey Bray." Jordan spoke into a microphone. "I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but Brianna isn't your 'Sister Abigail'. And if you even want to get close to her, this sunday at TLC, you have to go through me and my brothers." Jordan smirked as he placed his hands on the two men's shoulders. Bray glared darkly as he grabbed his dropped microphone.

"Jordan, I offered you a brotherhood and you continuously deny it! But you are still the one who will lead us to Sister Abigail who is deep, deep inside of that woman. This sunday, the Wyatt family will lay waste to you and your brothers and Sister Abigail will finally come forward! And then... then you will be ready for your conversion Jordan." Jordan smirked.

"I'm glad to here it. We'll see you in an elimination tables match."

"An elimination tables match!?" Jerry echoed as Smackdown went to commercial.

"Welcome everybody to TLC!" Michael Cole's voice reverberated over a loud crowd.

"And boy do we have a show for you!" Jerry Lawler tacked on at the end.

Jordan took a deep breath backstage as the Wyatt family made their way down to the ring. "You two ready?" He questioned over his shoulder, though he didn't look back to see their nods.

"Be careful out there." Becky spoke seconds before Riot began playing. Jordan stepped out into darkness, and when the lights rose he stared down to the ring where the Wyatt family waited. Jordan motioned for his music to be cut before he lifted a microphone to his mouth.

"You look ready to fight, Bray." Jordan spoke, causing the man to laugh before he yelled up at the man. "That's good, because I am too. And I have my brothers here with me. And it's fortunate for me that this is a Co Brand pay per view because my brothers, unlike the two you have in the ring from you, they're from Raw." Jordan lowered his mic and the fans cheered loudly as the New Day's theme song played before Kofi Kingston walked onto the ramp. Kofi patted Jordan on the shoulder, causing him to smile. Jordan held up a single finger as Bray yelled at him. Kofi's music bled away into One for the Money and the fans cheered roared as Andy Mercier stepped onto the stage wearing his white gear. He and Jordan touched fists together like MMA fighters before they made their way down the ramp.

They entered the ring and immediately made for the Wyatt family, causing the referee to ring the bell. Jordan speared into Bray, knocking them through the ropes and to the ringside. Luke and Erick made to help him, but Kofi and Andy were on them in an instant. Erick shoved Kofi away before Andy slammed into him with a forearm to the face, causing him to stumble back into the ropes. Andy turned around into a big boot from Luke before Kofi delivered a dropkick to him. Outside, Jordan slammed Bray's head into the announce table before launching him back first into the apron and delivering a sharp shot to his face. Erick flipped Kofi over the top rope before Kofi used it as leverage to kick him in the face. Erick stumbled back into a backbreaker from Andy that sent him rolling across the ring. Andy turned and dodged under a big boot from Luke before Luke was hit by a springboard dropkick from Kofi. Andy bounced off the ropes and jumped into the air before bringing his knee down on Luke's face. Bray shoved Jordan before grabbing his head and bouncing it off of the ring post. Jordan hit the ground and Bray laughed before Andy launched over the ropes with a spaceman moonsault planca. They crashed into the floor as Kofi ran and delivered a knee to Luke's head. He turned around into a clothesline front Erick. Erick reached down and dragged him to his feet before launching him into the corner. Erick ran and slammed into him before Irish whipping him out of the corner where Luke caught Kofi with a clothesline.

Andy shoved Bray into the barricade before Jordan caught the Wyatt family leader with a knee to the face that caused his head to bounce off the barricade. Andy turned around into a clothesline from Erick. The large man launched him over the announce table into the announcers before he himself turned around into a spear from Jordan. Luke made to exit the ring and help, but Kofi launched himself into the air and grabbed his head before planting it into the mat. Jordan turned around into a punch from Bray. His head whipped to the side and Bray bounced it off of the apron. Jordan stumbled back and Bray pulled him into a Sister Abigail. Bray came to his knees to laugh but was hit with a Frankensteiner Driver from Andy. His head hit the floor and his eyes seemed to roll back in his head as Andy leaped back to his feet and hit Erick with a step up Enzuigiri. Luke launched Kofi over the ropes before flying to the outside with a suicide dive.

Luke rolled across the ground before coming to his feet and smiling. "Oh my god, that's Braun Strowman!" Michael Cole yelled as the large man appeared on the stage with a table in his hands. He placed it sideways before setting the legs up and placing it upright. Then, he motioned Luke up the ramp. Luke reached down and pulled Kofi onto his shoulders and began to walk up the ramp. Jordan stood to his feet and rushed forward, spearing Erick through the barricade with a loud crack. Andy and Bray traded blows back and forth before Bray launched him shoulder first into the ring post. As Luke got closer to Braun and the table, Big E Langston and Xavier Woods jumped the big man from behind. Luke stopped in place and Kofi slid off his shoulders. He turned around into a Trouble in Paradise. Luke hit the ground as Bray pulled Andy to his feet back by ringside. Andy shoved the Wyatt leader away before delivering a Super kick to his face that sent him to the ground. Andy moved around the ring and pulled a table out from under the apron before setting it up. Braun sent Xavier Woods flying through the air before lifting Big E high over his head. Then, he dropped him down to the metal flooring. He turned and grabbed a flying Kofi before launching him into the set up table.

"Kofi Kingston has been eliminated!" The announcer called. Luke stumbled to his feet and turned around into a chair shot from Andy. Braun moved forward and Andy slammed the chair into his abdomen. Braun bent over and Andy launched the chair at him. He caught it despite his stance and Andy super kicked it into his face. Braun fell backwards on the ground and Andy quickly grabbed the chair and began unloading on the giant man. Bray and Erick were dragging Jordan to the table Andy had set up. Jordan broke their hold and began punching them both before Erick punched him in the face and Bray caught him with another Sister Abigail. Erick picked him up and held him in front of the table as Bray mockingly roared like Jordan. The Wyatt family leader made to spear him through the table, but Jordan pulled Erick in his place at the last second, forcing Bray to spear him through the table instead. "Erick Rowan has been eliminated!" On the stage, Andy was still violently beating Braun with a chair. An arm grabbed him and jerked him around and he slammed the chair over Luke's head again. Andy turned around and made his way back down to the ring.

He reached under the apron and produced another chair, launching it up the ramp near Luke and Braun as Jordan and Bray traded exhausted blows. Andy pulled another table from under the ring before he dragged it up the ramp. Jordan grabbed Bray by the front of his shirt and launched him overhead into the barricade. Meanwhile, Andy set the table up before slamming one of the chairs into Luke and Braun's backs. Bray crawled to his hands and knees before being punted in the skull by Jordan before Jordan tiredly rested his upper body against the unbroken barricade. Andy threw Luke on top of the table he had set up before he climbed on top with him. He set the man up for a pedigree, holding his arms behind his back all the way up, and all the way down through the table and to the ground. "Luke Harper has been eliminated!" Andy crawled to his feet and grabbed a chair. He slammed it into Braun's back before placing it under his skull. Grabbing the other chair, he stood there for a second before slamming the second chair into the back of his skull.

"Oh my god! Con chair to!" Andy threw the chair into Braun's unmoving body before walking down the ramp. Bray grabbed Jordan by his lower body and slammed his face into the barricade as Andy slid into the ring with a table. He propped it up in the corner, turning around into running body of Bray Wyatt.

"Andy Mercier has been eliminated!" The announcer called, to the shock of the crowd, as his body folded through the table. Bray turned around into a spear of his own from Jordan. Jordan stood to his feet with a roar before a table was slid into the ring, courtesy of Big E Langston. Jordan quickly set it up and pulled Bray to his feet before slamming him through the table with a powerbomb.

"Tea time! And that's it!" Jerry called.

"Bray Wyatt has been eliminated!" The announcer called as Riot began playing. "Here are your winners, the team of Jordan Sterling, Kofi Kingston and Andy Mercier!" Jordan helped Andy to his feet as the New Day joined them in the ring to celebrate, to the delight of the crowd.

Brianna smiled at the outcome of the match before walking through the hallways for her own match. She reached the gorilla position as Carmella finished her entrance. Meteor began playing and Brianna walked out onto the stage. She held her title high with a smile as she gave the Shaka hand sign before walking down the ramp and entering the ring. She handed her title off to the referee, who raised it high before handing it off to an official. He returned to the middle of the ring before calling for the bell. Brianna and Carmella broke out of their corners and began circling each other. They started to lock up before Carmella kicked Brianna in the abdomen. Brianna doubled over and Carmella kneed her in the face before dropping her to the mat with a running forearm. Brianna quickly rolled to her knees and was quickly hit by a low dropkick. Carmella bounced around the ring and paused to mock Brianna by waving the Shaka hand sign before rushing forward. Brianna launched herself through the air with a hip attack that dropped her opponent. Carmella rolled across the mat and came to her knees before a well placed knee to the side of the head caused her to drop back to the mat. Brianna dropped a knee down on her face before dragging her to her feet. She launched her into the corner before running after her and slamming her forearm into her face. Carmella stumbled out and Brianna flipped her into a sitting position before Kneeing her in the back. Brianna brought her to her feet, but Carmella kicked her in the abdomen.

Brianna doubled over and Carmella bounced off the ropes before hitting her with a big boot. Brianna fell to the mat and Carmella made to put her in a modified figure four headscissors. "She's trying to put in the Code of Silence!" Brianna rolled out. Carmella kicked her in the abdomen again and tried to hit Brianna's own move. Brianna twisted out and brought her into a lifting single underhook DDT before transitioning into a Bridging Muta Lock. "No! Brianna countered into the Kelly Maneuver and now she has her in the Melanie Rose! And Carmella's tapping!" Meteor began playing again as Brianna got to her feet and grabbed her title. She smiled as she held it and the Shaka sign high as the crowd chanted 'Hawaii Five 0!'.

That all ended when her music stopped and Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan made their way down the ramp. "Not these guys again!" Jerry called to a nod from Michael.

"It's not over Brianna Jacqueline Kelly. It's time for you to take your place at the head of the Wyatt family as Sister Abigail!" Bray spoke into a microphone. Then, the New Day were upon Erick as Andy and Jordan attacked Bray. Andy hit Bray with a super kick that spun him around into a spear from Jordan. Big E and Xavier Woods held Erick up for a Trouble in Paradise from Kofi. Erick went to his hands and knees where Jordan hit him with a punt to the head. Erick'a head shot up where Andy caught him with a Kinshasa.

"Oh wow!" Cole called as the men stood over the downed Wyatt family. "Andy and Jordan making a statement here tonight! You have your family and we have ours. Don't mess with ours! Stay tuned, TLC will be right back!" TLC went to commercial as Brianna joined the men to hug Jordan and Andy as they walked backwards up the ramp.

XXX

Wrap! And my internet is still down. I'm going to have to go somewhere and bumps some WiFi so I can post my last three chapters. I don't really have anything I think that I need to say, so... um... I'll talk to you guys later! Hopefully my internet will be fixed.


	27. Chapter 27

Blitzkrieg 1.6

"Congratulations!" Andy called happily as Bayley stepped out of the women's locker room with the WWE Women's Championship hanging from her shoulder. She smiled brightly as she bounded forward to hug him. Andy quickly returned the hug as Bayley stepped back to observe him. He wore a black shirt over which he had an unbuttoned blue flannel shirt. He had the sleeves pulled up over his elbows and wore black jeans with black combat boots.

"Big evening? She questioned as she stood back to observe him farther.

"Well, I mean you just won the WWE Women's Championship from Charlotte at TLC, so I think that calls for celebration, don't you?" Bayley smiled wider at his words.

"Let's me go get ready!" She spoke excitedly with a bounce as she motioned to the women's locker room before darting back inside. Andy chuckled as he stepped back to lean against the wall. Jordan paused as he passed by with Becky close behind.

"Thanks for being out there with me." He spoke. "Are you okay? You folded up when you got put through that table." Andy shrugged in response.

"I would've been out there with you even if I had won the tournament. And the fact that I got to play whack a Braun made it even better. I'm fine. It caused a little bit of pain in my back but I've already checked it with the trainers." Jordan nodded in response.

"You know that you put Braun out of action tonight. Seth retained his title by forfeit." Again Andy shrugged, this time as he out a piece of gum in his mouth.

"He shouldn't have come out there. And on the bright side, that means that I might get the chance to be the one to shut him up and take his title." Jordan chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Well, you have a good night. Becky and I are going to go out." Andy reached out and patted Jordan on the shoulder as he passed by. Becky flashed him a smile.

"Thank you for being out there for him True Shooter."

"Anytime Lass Kicker." Andy responded with a wave of his hand. The two disappeared around a corner and Andy waited a little while longer until Bayley stepped back out of the women's locker room wearing a blue tank top, a black skirt and black shoes. She smiled as she shouldered her bag.

"Are you ready?" Andy looked her over before nodding and offering her his arm. She laughed as she slid her own through it.

"So WWE Women's Champion Bayley, would you like to go to celebrate?" Bayley tilted her head to the side.

"I know!" She spoke suddenly, causing Andy to look at her when she didn't say anything else.

"Yeah? What's that?" Andy questioned.

"I'll tell you how to get there and you'll find out when we're there!" Andy chuckled at the response.

"Fair enough."

Andy walked backstage at Raw with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He rolled his shoulder with a tired sigh. He stopped as he came face to face with Finn Balor. "Hey True Shooter." Finn spoke with a smile, prompting a chuckle from Andy.

"Hey Finn. What're you doing here?" Finn smiled brighter as he outstretched his arms.

"I'm cleared to compete. I'm going to let you go get ready for tonight, but I just wanted to let you know, I'm coming back for my championship. So watch your back." Andy nodded his head in response as he chewed his gum.

"I'm keep that in mind mate." Andy responded as he patted Finn on his shoulder and walked away.

Seth Rollins arrogantly walked down the ramp to the ring with the WWE Universal Championship strapped around his waist. He smirked as he stepped inside the ring and retrieved a microphone from someone at ringside as his music ended. "Well well well, look who's still the champion!" Seth called happily. "The man, Seth Rollins. You know, I'd like to say that it was a hard fought battle and that my opponent gave me a fight, but the fact of the matter is is that big bad Braun Strowman was too scared to get in the ring with me, Seth Rollins!" Seth laughed before frowning when One for the Money played and Andy walked out wearing his black gear and a Heartbreak Kid shirt. Andy walked down to the ring, shaking his head before sliding in the ring and taking a microphone from the outside.

"Seth, be honest. The only reason your opponent didn't come out to face you, the same opponent you cost me my title shot against, is because he decided to stick his nose in my match and I beat him down with a steel chair." Seth stared at him before laughing.

"Why, why are you out here? Haven't I embarrassed you enough in the last month? Look, you're not getting a shot at my title. You don't deserve it. And I'm not going to give a title shot to someone who doesn't deserve it." Andy chuckled as he scratched the side of his head.

"That's funny, because before you pedigreed me in the ring, I had a sure fire victory over Braun Strowman going. That being considered, if he deserved a shot, I'm pretty sure I should be right behind him." Seth shrugged in response as he leaned in the corner.

"Tough luck." He responded before looking around annoyed as Mick Foley's music began playing. The Hardcore legend walked out onto the stage doing his signature bang bang taught with a smile before lifting a mic to his mouth.

"Seth, I'm sorry to say that you don't get to choose who your number one contender is. That being said, not only was Andy the runner up in the number one contender tournament, he was also just about to win it when you interfered. However, there's another man that deserves a chance to take that title from you." Andy bit the his cheek, knowing who it was before his music even played. The crowd launched to their feet as Finn Balor joined Mick on the stage.

"Seth, I never lost my title to you, and now that I'm back and completely cleared to compete, I'm ready to take it away from you." Finn spoke to the enjoyment of the crowd. Mick nodded with a smile on his face.

"So, since we have two amazing number one contenders for Roadblock, here's what were going to do." Mick spoke with a nod. "Tonight, Andy will face Enzo Amore and Finn will face Big Cass. Whoever wins both matches tonight goes on to face each other next week to determine the number one contender for the WWE Universal Championship!" The crowd cheered loudly as Mick nodded his head. "Andy, your match is right now." Andy nodded in response as Seth begrudgingly vacated the ring. Enzo made his energetic entrance, passing a glaring Seth before entering the ring. He paced back and forth in his corner before the referee called for the bell. Enzo and Andy broke out of their corners. Enzo made for a running forearm, but Andy ducked down under it. Enzo turned around into a flying Yakuza kick from Andy. Enzo hit the mat and Andy was quick back to his feet. Enzo rolled over and stood up to a kick to his abdomen before he was dropped with a DDT. Andy lightly bounced off the ropes before walking forward and dropping a fist down onto Enzo's face. Enzo thrashed and stumbled to his feet. Andy went for a dropkick, but Enzo dodged to the side. Andy hit the mat, and Enzo dropped onto his back with a knee. Andy rolled away holding his back and Enzo rushed after him. He delivered a low dropkick to Andy's head as he tried to come to his feet. Enzo reached down and pulled his opponent to his feet before kicking him in the abdomen. Andy doubled over and Enzo kneed him in the face. Andy stumbled back and Enzo hit him with a dropkick into the corner. Andy stumbled back into a corner where Enzo delivered a running forearm. Andy stumbled out of the corner into a knee to the gut. Andy doubled over and Enzo went to knee him in the face, but Andy caught his knee with his hands before shoving it away and hitting a step up Enzuigiri. Enzo's head whipped to the side and he came down to one knee before Andy bounced off the ropes and came back with a shining wizard. Andy went for a pin, but Enzo quickly kicked out. Andy stood to his feet and waited for Enzo to get to his feet before he springboarded off the ropes into a DDT. Enzo's head bounced of the mat and Andy rolled away again.

Enzo stood to his feet and dodged to his side as Andy went for a yakuza kick. Andy was quick to his feet and hit with a dropkick. Enzo stomped on his stomach, causing him to sit up before Enzo kicked him in the back. Andy arched his back and slowly got to his feet Enzo dropped him to the mat with a spinning elbow before running around the ring to the excitement of the crowd. He climbed the turnbuckle and launched through the air with a diving DDT. "The G DDT!" Cole called as Andy bounced off the mat and landed on his back.

"And it looks like he's going for Air Enzo now." Corey added as Enzo climbed back up the turnbuckle before launching off. Andy jumped to his feet and hit the airborne man with a super kick.

"No! A super kick in midair! And it's over! Andy's moving on to next week!" Michael Cole exclaimed as One for the Money played. Andy stood to his feet and pointed his hand like a gun at Enzo. He exited the ring and made his way up the ramp as Raw went to commercial.

Bayley watched as Andy approached her with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face, causing her to frown to. "Hey, is everything okay?" She asked in concern, causing him to look at her as if he had just noticed her.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Andy, you can talk to me. I'm kind of worried." Bayley returned.

"I promise I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind and, hold on." He paused in midsentence as his phone rang. "Hello? Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye." He hung up his phone before looking back at Bayley. "Hunter's waiting on me. I'll see you later tonight, okay?" Bayley nodded as Andy flashed her a half hearted smile before walking off down the hall. She gave a sigh before heading toward the gorilla position.

Jordan bounced up and down in place as he prepared for his match. He stopped and rolled his shoulders before turning to Becky, who smiled. "Be careful out there." She stated as she pushed herself up to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll be back here waiting when you get back." Jordan nodded in response as he gave her a kiss.

"This shouldn't take too long. Where do you want to go to dinner when we're done here tonight?" Becky shrugged and patted him on the cheek.

"It doesn't matter to me." Joe smiled at her before he made his way to the gorilla position. His opponent, the returning Zack Ryder, was already in the ring. Riot began playing as Jordan walked out into darkness. When the lights rose, he stood at the top of the ramp with a focused look on his face. He came down to one knee and jumped to his feet with a shout of "One man enters and one man leaves!" Before making his way down the ramp. He paused at the end to bend and look at the camera before jumping on the apron. He ran the ropes and tossed his shirt to the crowd before entering the ring. His music ended as the referee checked back and forth with the two men before calling for the bell. Jordan walked forward and Zack slowly began cricling him. Jordan raised an eyebrow before striking at the man. Zack dodged to the side, and did so two more times before he struck out with a kick to Jordan's side. Zack jumped forward to slam his forearm into his opponents face. Jordan stumbled back and Zack immediately went for the Rough Ryder. Jordan caught him and shifted him on his shoulders before delivering a powerbomb. "Tea time!" Phillips called as Jordan stared down at the man with a shake of his head. Suddenly, the lights went out, and Jordan looked up at the titantron as Bray Wyatt appeared on it.

"We're here." Bray blew out the lantern held by Erick. Jordan was jerked around and kicked in the gut by Zack before being hit with the Rough Ryder. The referee counted to three when Zack went for the pin before the returning wrestler hurried from the ring. "Jordan." Bray spoke as the dark skinned man sat up, groggy. "Jordan, you beat me at TLC. Congratulations. You put off the coming of Sister Abigail. But if you're going to take away something from me, I'm going to take something from you." Jordan tore from the ring and up the ramp as he realized the Wyatt family stood at the top of the ramp with Becky held hostage. Before Jordan could reach them, the lights shut off. When they rose again, Jordan was holding Becky close to his chest as he looked around, his jaw muscles clenched.

Brianna watched backstage while shaking her head. The Wyatt family was definitely getting out of control. Somebody needed to do something and fast. Brianna stood to her feet with a sigh before making her way through the hallways. She paused as Jordan passed, holding Becky close to him. "Hey Jordan."

"If you see any of them," He spoke before anything else could be said, "You come and find me. I'm going to kill them." With that, Jordan continued down the hall and Brianna gave the couple a sympathetic gaze before she walked to the gorilla position. Meteor began playing and Brianna made her way out to the ring. She smiled to the fans as she walked down the ramp and entered the ring. She grabbed a microphone and waited for her music to end before speaking.

"We did it again." She stated as she held her title high to the fans cheers. "Despite everything that's been thrown our way the last month or so, we've perservered. But, the main focus isn't really the championship right now, is it? No, it's about the Wyatt family and their crazy messages. Saying that I'm 'Sister Abigail'. Attacking my friends. Bray Wyatt, I don't know where you are. But you need to check yourself into a mental asylum. There's something really wrong with you. I've never represented somebody with ideas like you. I've always represented people who have always been put down and don't believe their dreams are in reach. Bray, leave my friends alone. Jordan is not going to help you turn me into something you think I am because I have never been, and never will be, whoever this Sister Abigail is." Brianna lowered her microphone and glanced up the ramp as Natalya walked onto the stage to her music.

"Brianna, you shouldn't be worried about Bray and his little followers. You should be worried about the fact that you're going to be facing be at Roadblock for the Smackdown Women's Championship. I may not have gotten to be the inaugural Smackdown Women's champion, but I'm definitely looking to take that title from her." Brianna frowned as she stared up at the woman on the ramp.

"Natalya, do you know how many people have said that to me? From the moment that I first won the WWE Women's Championship every single competitor that I've faced has said that, bar one. And that bar one is the only one whose beat me. I respect you, Natalya. You were born into this business. But just because you were born into it doesn't mean you're destined for greatness."

"It's because I was born into this business that I'm destined for greatness. And I'll finally prove it when I make you tap out in the middle of the ring."

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

XXX

Wrap. Oh God. I got so sick last night. I'm completely warped. Well, Andy's on his way to face Finn, but something seems off, Bray has just crossed the line with Jordan, and Natalya has stepped up to challenge Brianna despite her current situation including the Wyatt family. And my internet is still out... Hoozah.


	28. Chapter 28

Blitzkrieg 1.7

Andy leaned back in a chair in the men's locker room wearing a black muscle shirt, black cargo pants and black combat boots. He chewed heavily on a piece of gum. He blew a bubble and popped it as he watched Raw from the television. "Hey True Shooter." Andy heard before he glanced over his shoulder to find Finn in the locker room with him.

"Hey, mate." Andy returned with a wave of his hand. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to come by and say good luck to you. You'll need it. Because I'm going to go out there and do everything it takes to win, so I can go on to Roadblock and reclaim the WWE Universal Championship." Andy stood up out of his chair and gave a chuckle.

"Confident are you? Thanks for the sentiment, but I don't need luck, mate. I go out there and give it my all every week. That's how I win." Finn gave him a smirk and patted him on the shoulder.

"Good luck mate."

Andy walked through the backstage area and rolled his neck to a loud pop. He reached the curtains and waited as Finn Balor made his entrance to the crowds excitement. Then, One for the Money began playing and Andy broke the curtains to a response just as loud as Finn's. He wore his red attire, his black 'Stop the Show, Hire the Hitman, Protect the Franchise, Bow to the King and Ride the Mercier' tee shirt over which he wore an unzipped red sleeveless hoodie. He reached up and removed the hood from his head before slowly lowering his hands to point them at Finn like guns. Then, he fell forward on the stage as a chair hit his back. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows slammed two chairs into Andy's back repeatedly before throwing their chairs at his head. Finn seemed to be in shock as Gallows and Anderson pointed to him with a smile before lifting their hands into the Too Sweet hand sign. "Gallows and Anderson just laid waste to Andy." Michael Cole spoke solemnly as medical personal came out to check on the unmoving man as his assailants stepped backstage. "I'm getting word from General Manager Mick Fokey that the match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Universal Championship will now take place next week."

Bayley barged into the trainers room as Andy sat on a table bent forward as one of the staff felt his back. "Andy! Are you okay? I can't believe that just happened! You... you don't think Finn set you up for that do you?" Andy looked up at her with a slightly pained expression.

"I'm fine. The doctor here says I just need to take it easy on my back until next week. As for what happened.. look, we need to talk about that privately. The stuff going on with Jordan and Brianna on Smackdown is family business because they're my family. What just happened... that's Club business. And that's family business to me too. I don't talk about that business in the open." Bayley stared at Andy for a second before placing a hand on his cheek.

"I'll see you after the show then, okay?"

"Okay."

Andy walked through the halls back in his street clothes with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He would pause to feel his back every so often on his way to his car. "Hey Andy!" A voice called out to him. He turned to find Kofi Kingston quickly approaching him. "Hey man, wait up!"

"Hey Kofi. Do you need something?" Andy questioned as Kofi nodded in response.

"Yeah, man. I saw what Gallows and Anderson did to you. You know The New Day has had its problems with those guys. If you need us next week to watch your back, let us know." Andy stared at him as he placed a piece of gum in his mouth before giving a slight chuckle.

"Kofi, when it comes to Jordan, we're part of an extended family together. I liked fighting with you against the Wyatts. But this isn't Jordan. I know Anderson and Gallows personally. Believe it or not, they're not all around bad guys. There's always a rhyme or reason that they do what they do. Them, Finn, me, we've all belonged to the Club. We're family, and this is a separate family business than the one we fought alongside in. I appreciate it, but I'll deal with them next week." Kofi gave Andy a smile and patted him on the shoulder.

"I'll let you do it your way. But if you need us... The New Day are behind you."

"I appreciate it."

Jordan angrily stalked backstage at Smackdown while looking around for any signs of the Wyatt family. He barged through the curtains as Riot began playing before he marches down the ramp and entered the ring. He quickly walked across the ring and snatched a microphone from the outside area before motioning for his music to be cut. "Bray Wyatt." He spoke as he looked into the camera. "Bray Wyatt, you have crossed the line with me. First, you mess with my family. Then, you mess with Becky. That was a mistake. I don't know what happened to you to cause you to go completely insane, but when I get my hands on you, I'm going to be you into sanity, and the back to insanity. I promise you Bray, I'm going to hurt you. You don't put your hands on anybody I love! Do you understand? Do you understand the grave that you've dug for yourself!?" Jordan's jaw clenched as he angrily stared into the camera. His jaw only clenched harder when the lights shut down and the Wyatt family appeared on the Titantron.

"We're here." Bray spoke before blowing out the lantern held by Erick. The Wyatt family appeared at the top of the ramp, and slowly made their way down.

"Hey, do you mind hurrying up and setting that rocker down and getting in this ring so I can dismember every single one of you." The Wyatts reached the end of the ramp and Bray sat down in his rocking chair with his signature laugh as the lights rose up.

"Jordan, do you think I'm scared. Your threats mean nothing to me! Jordan, I am a God while you, you're just a man. You could have transcended your mortality by following me Jordan. By bringing about the coming of Sister Abigail! But you fought against me! You fought against me and caused the coming of Sister Abigail to be pushed back! Now you'll pay, Jordan. You will pay for your sins. You'll answer for your transgressions against me!"

"Sorry, not sorry, Bray, but I'm not answering to you for anything! I don't owe you anything, but the beating of your life, do you understand? Becky was too afraid to come here tonight because of you and your psychotic family. She looks around corners thinking you're there like you're some scary boogeyman. Let me tell you something, Bray, if you're a God, then I'm a God slayer."

Bray laughed at the man's words as if they were a joke. "Your pretty little girlfriend is simply a casualty of war, my friend. She has a right to be scared. Because your sins spill over onto everyone associated with you. And everyone that even has a drop of your sins are going to pay what for what you've done. They're going to pay for you acting against God! You should have followed the buzzards, Jordan! You should have helped me drag Sister Abigail out of Brianna! But you didn't! And now I'll do it myself, and I'll make you suffer in the process!"

"The only one that's going to suffer is you! You want to fight, Bray, well so do I. Let me give you a proposal. Roadblock is a little over two weeks away. And I want to hurt you. Next week I'll face Luke Harper. If he beats me, he can join the match of you and me at the pay per view to make it a handicap match. If he loses, he'll be banned from ringside. The next week, I'll face Erick under the same stipulation. You have the opportunity to make it three on one at Roadblock. Are you that confident in your family?" Bray laughed in response.

"Jordan Sterling, you just signed your death warrant." Jordan smirked as he leaned on the top rope.

"Maybe I did. But Bray, I forgot to mention one detail about our match. It'll be a buried alive match. I sure hope that your family can beat me. For your sake." Riot began playing and Jordan pushed off the top ropes as Bray gained somewhat of a panicked face.

Brianna walked through the backstage of Smackdown in her regular gear and a 'Hawaii Five 0' tee shirt. She made her way to the gorilla position. She watched a nearby monitor as Carmella made her way down to the ring. The woman walked across the ring to grab a microphone before she began talking. "Brianna, you got the better of me at TLC. But that doesn't mean that you're the better wrestler! Congratulations on being the LUCKIEST woman in that locker room. I mean, really, give it up for Brianna!" Carmella rolled her eyes as the fans began chanting for Brianna. "Brianna, I know that I have your number. All I need is that one more match, and I'll be the next Smackdown Women's champion!" Carmella angrily looked up the ramp as Brianna walked out to Meteor.

"One more match?" Brianna questioned. "Sorry, Carmella, in case you haven't noticed, there's already somebody else who claimed the number one contender spot. So, if you want another match, you'll just have to wait in line until it's your turn again. Unless you're willing to step into the ring with me tonight and try to earn that spot." Carmella stared darkly at Brianna as the red haired Hawaiian slowly made her way down the ramp with her title on her shoulder.

"I don't want to beat you to earn MY place as the number one contender just turn around and beat you again to win MY title. It gets a little bit repetitive Miss Hawaii Five 0."

"You keep talking, Carmella, but all I'm hearing is how much of a coward you are. In fact-" Brianna was interrupted as Natalya and Alexa Bliss slammed into her from behind. Brianna's title fell to the ground as she was flung into the ring. She stood to her feet and ducked under a clothesline from Carmella. She turned back around into a spinning heel kick from Brianna. Brianna flew forward with a flying hip attack that knocked Alexa off of the apron as she tried to get in the ring. She and Natalya traded blows back and forth before Brianna kicked her in the abdomen and pulled her head down onto the top rope. Brianna turned around and kicked Carmella before setting her up for the Kelly Maneuver. Alexa slammed into her again, causing her to release the woman. Carmella kicked Brianna in retaliation before pulling her into a Kelly Maneuver of her own. Carmella rolled her toward a corner as Alexa climbed the turnbuckles before jumping off with a Twisted Bliss. Natalya smirked as she slid into the ring before pulling Brianna to the middle of the ring where she placed her in the Sharpshooter. Brianna screamed and tapped the canvas as Natalya pulled back harshly while Alexa and Carmella mocked her.

"We need to get some help out here!" Phillips called at commentary.

"Yeah! Natalya is really going to hurt the women's champion! Somebody help her!" Jerry yelled loudly. Smackdown went to commercial as officials entered the ring to break the submission and get Brianna help.

Jordan rubbed his temples as he exited the men's locker room. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to take care of the Wyatt family by himself if they tried to interfere in his matches the next couple of weeks. Andy was preoccupied with the Club. Kofi would be willing to help, but like Andy he was on Raw. And Brianna was being pulled in multiple directions with a psychotic man claiming her to be some cult leader and three women trying to bully her out of her title.

"A buried alive match." A voice spoke, and Jordan defensively turned around to face it's owner. "You haven't realized it yet, but there are forces in this world that you don't quite understand. Bray Wyatt is one of those. If you're hoping to bury him alove, then you'll need help to understand those forces."

XXX

Wrap. Andy has now encountered Anderson and Gallows, Jordan has officially had enough of the Wyatt family and now has another wacko talking to him, and Brianna finds her attention split in multiple directions. How will Andy deal with the Club? Who's trying to help Jordan? How's Brianna going to deal with Carmella, Natalya and Alexa? And why won't my internet work? I don't really know. I'm sick.


	29. Chapter 29

Blitzkrieg 1.8

"Excuse me, Finn, do you have a moment?" Byron Saxton questioned as the crowd watched intensely on the Titantron. "Last week you were scheduled to face Andy Mercier in what would determine the number one contender for the WWE Universal Championship. That match was moved to this week because, well, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson attacked Andy before the match. Afterward, they were smiling and pointing to you. Did you know anything about that?"

Finn bit his bottom lip as he put his hands on his lips. "Look Byron, for the last week that's the same question I've been getting over and over and over again and I've given the same answer each and every time. I-"

"Hey Finn!" The crowd cheered as Andy walked into the cameras view. "Having an interview? Yeah, that's great mate. Look, we both have history with those two men. We are all family. And last week that family laid me out and then celebrated... for you. Now, call me crazy, but after you told me you'd do anything to get back to the WWE Universal Championship, it makes me a little suspicious of you."

"Andy, I didn't send them out after you. I promise."

"I don't know if I can trust you anymore Finn."

"If they attack you again tonight, I will automatically give you the number one contender spot. And this time, I will be there to help you fight them off." Andy gave Finn a once over before blowing a bubble and popping it.

"I sure hope so." With that, Andy stepped off the camera. Finn gave a grimace before walking in the opposite direction. Andy went to the men's locker room and began getting ready for his match. He got dressed in his black gear with his normal 'KING' boots, white tape and the same shirt he had worn the week before. He exited the men's locker room and gave a soft smile as Bayley stood, waiting. "Hey, Bayley." She smiled up at him before throwing her arms around his neck. It caught Andy by surprise, but he returned her hug.

"I just wanted to say be careful out there." She whispered. Andy took a deep breath as she released him before he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Everything's going to be okay." Bayley touched her forehead and smiled up at him.

"I believe you." Andy gave her a brief hug before he walked off down the hall. He reached the curtains and stood there until Finn had finished his entrance. One for the Money began and Andy walked through the curtains and onto the stage. He turned around and walked backwards down the ramp, watching the entrance. Then, he turned halfway down the ramp, pointing his hands like guns at Finn. He walked the rest of the way down the ramp before jumping onto the apron. He pulled himself up and climbed the turnbuckle before doing his Hangman's Draw. He dropped down into the ring and removed his shirt, tossing it to the crowd as he stared at Finn. The referee checked back and forth between them before he called for the bell. Andy and Finn made out of their corner and circled each other before locking up. Finn wrenched Andy's arm out to the side before Andy pulled him into a headlock. Finn launched Andy away, and Andy caught the top rope to avoid a dropkick. Andy shot forward, and Finn dodged a flying Yakuza kick.

Andy was quick back to his feet and ducked under a kicked to the head before going for a dropkick. Finn dodged to the side and tried to drop a knee down onto Andy, but he quickly rolled away to avoid it. Andy got back to his feet and ducked under a clothesline. Finn turned around before he was hit with a Pele kick. "And Andy being the first to gain any type of advantage here!" Michael Cole spoke as Andy kicked Finn in the gut before dragging him into a DDT. Andy got back up and dropped his knees down onto his back. Finn rolled away and popped to his feet, dodging another flying yakuza kick sent his way. Andy jumped up into a flying forearm. He hit the mat and Finn dropped down onto him with an elbow drop. Andy held his chest as he came to one knee before Finn slammed his own knee into Andy's face, dropping him down to the mat. Finn pulled Andy up by the sides of his head before kicking him in the abdomen before dropping him with a DDT. Andy held his face as he sat up. Finn delivered a barrage of kicks to his chest. Andy clenched his jaw in pain as he was pulled to his feet before he punched Finn in the face and hit a step up Enzuigiri. Finn's head whipped to the side and he came down to one knee where he was hit with a shining wizard. Andy lightly bounced off the ropes and walked forward before launching himself in the air and dropping his knee down onto Finn's face.

Finn thrashed around before coming to his feet and being hit with a flying forearm. Finn was quick back to his feet where he was hit with another. A third followed and Andy performed a kip-up before spinning a few times to the cheers of the fans. Andy pulled Finn to his feet before launching him into a corner. Andy cupped his hands around his mouth with a howl before following after Finn with a stinger splash. Finn stumbled out of the corner and Andy Irish whipped him into the ropes. Finn bounded back and launched himself through the air before hitting Andy with a Sling blade. Finn popped back to his feet and waited for Andy to get up. When he did, Finn launched himself across the ring with a dropkick. Andy flew into a sitting position in the corner before Finn followed up with a hesitation dropkick. Andy rolled out of the corner as Finn climbed the turnbuckle. He jumped off and slammed his feet into Andy's prone form. "Coup De Grace! And that could be it!" Finn went for the cover, but Andy was able to get a shoulder up at two. Finn shook his head at the broken pin before standing to his feet and dragging Andy up.

Andy shoved the man away and hit him with a flying forearm before performing a tired kip-up. Andy slowly pulled Finn of the mat and onto his shoulders before hitting him with a Go 2 Sleep. "Ride the Mercier! It's been a while since we've seen that!" Andy fell on top of Finn and the referee counted to two before Finn broke the cover. Andy stared up at the ceiling before standing to his feet. He pulled Finn up by the sides of his head before Finn punched him in the face. Andy stumbled slightly before punching Finn back. Finn stumbled too before the two wrestlers began trading tired blows back and forth. This continued until Omen in the Sky by CFO$ began playing. Andy and Finn broke away from each other to look up the ramp where Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows were now walking down. "What're those two doing out here? Didn't they do enough last week?" Michael Cole questioned.

"They're just making themselves known!" Corey returned. Finn motioned his head toward the two and he and Andy moved toward the front of the ring. Finn made to exit, but Andy grabbed his arm. A jerk caused Finn to stumble back into the ring where Andy delivered a Super kick to him.

"What just happened!? Andy just super kicked Finn's head off!" Michael exclaimed in shock as Andy picked up the three count off of the move. Omen in the Sky bled away into One for the Money as Luke and Karl entered the ring. They stood on either side of Andy as he stood over Finn. Andy looked to either side of him before raising the Too Sweet hand sign high in the air. Luke and Karl copied him, placing their hands together in the air as the crowd began chanting 'Bullet Club!'. Raw went to commercial as Luke and Karl patted Andy on the shoulders before the three exited the ring and made their way up the ramp, leaving Finn behind.

The three men walked together backstage, talking back and forth with one another. They all stopped when they found Bayley in their path. Luke and Karl placed their hands on Andy's shoulders. "We'll catch up later, Good Brother." Luke spoke, causing Andy to nod his head in response.

"I'll see you around." Andy responded. Bayley waited until the two men were gone before turning to face Andy. He shifted from foot to foot under her stare.

"Are you still okay with it?" Bayley stared at him a moment longer before stepping forward and hugging him.

"As long as you stay you."

Jordan rolled his shoulders as he sat on a crate backstage at Smackdown. "I can't believe Andy did that monday." Becky spoke as she sat beside him. "It's completely out of character for him!" Jordan gave a half shrug as he finished taping his hands and did a few test strikes.

"They're his family." Jordan spoke in understanding. "I talked with him about it on the phone for a while. And it took me a while, but I get it. They have a long history together. They were watching each others backs in New Japan. It makes sense. I mean, the Bullet Club still use Andy as an active member, and it's obvious that Luke and Karl still fly those colors." Becky gave a reluctant nod before she spoke.

"Still. It's just... Andy doesn't need them to get to the top. I was watching his match. He could've had Finn. They didn't even need to come out!"

"That's not the point sweetheart." Jordan returned as he stood to his feet, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Don't hold it against him. He might just surprise you." Becky gave Jordan a smile as he got ready to go out for his match. "Stay with Brianna backstage. I'll be back in a little bit." Jordan made his way through the hallways before arriving at the gorilla position. Luke Harper was already in the ring, waiting on him. The other two members of the Wyatt family were surprisingly absent. Riot began playing and Jordan stepped through the curtains into darkness. When they rose, Jordan stood on top of the stage with a focused look on his face. He came down to one knee before calling out "One man enters and one man leaves!". He came back to his feet and made his way down the ramp. He paused at the end and bent to look at the camera before jumping on the apron and running the ropes. He threw his shirt to the crowd before entering the ring. He jumped from foot to foot as the referee called out to both men before having the bell rung. Luke rushed forward to slam his body into Jordan, but Jordan dodged to the side. Harper turned around into a strong strike to the jaw that made his stumble to the side. Jordan grabbed Luke and shoved him into his corner before he began unloading with a flurry of strikes to the abdomen. He broke away when he was forced to, but rushed back and slammed his body into Luke's. He stumbled out of the corner into an uppercut from Jordan. Luke fell back into the corner, and Jordan made to strike away at him again, but Luke grabbed him by the back of his head and Headbutt him. Jordan stumbled backward and Harper rushed out of the corner to deliver a big boot to Jordan.

The man fell to the mat and Luke dropped down to his knees to began punching at his face. Luke broke away when the referee forced him to. Jordan got to his feet before Harper plowed into him with full force, knocking him back off of his feet. He stomped on Jordan a few times before stepping back and allowing him to get to his feet. Then, he hit a clothesline on him that dropped him back to the canvas. Luke came onto his knees with a loud yell before pulling Jordan up to his feet. Jordan delivered a few shots to his abdomen before shoving Luke away. He hit him with a spear and went for a cover, but only got a count of two. Jordan got to his feet and looked at his wrist tape like a watch, as if checking the time before Luke was able to get back to his feet. Jordan went for a blow to his head, but Luke dodged out if the way. Luke bounced off the ropes and caught his opponent with another big boot. He picked Jordan up and lifted him high into the air before slamming him down to the mat. Luke went for his own pin but only got a near fall.

Luke yelled angrily and picked Jordan up before launching Jordan across the ring. Jordan bounced off the ropes and came back, ducking under a big boot. He hit the opposite ropes and Luke turned around into another spear. "Jordan caught him with another M16!" Phillips yelled in excitement as Jordan jumped to his feet with a roar. Luke stumbled to his feet and Jordan caught him with a vicious high knee.

"Wow! Look at the impact on that knee!" Jerry cried as Luke crumbled to the mat. Jordan covered him and received a three count off of it as Riot began playing. Jordan jumped to his feet and gave a yell of victory as the fans cheered him. He looked at the camera and pointed to Luke before lifting his index finger as Smackdown went to commercial.

When Smackdown came back on, the ring had been cleared and Natalya made her way down to the ring with Carmella and Alexa Bliss in tow. Natalya smirked at the crowd as the three women entered the ring before she got a microphone. She looked around at the crowd before talking. "I am destined to do great things. I would have already been well on my way to having been one of the greatest female wrestlers to have ever set foot in a WWE ring by now if I hadn't been held back for people like Brianna. Brianna is not destined for great things. I was born into this business. She hasn't worked half as hard as I have to get here. That's why Brianna was tapping in the middle of the ring last week while I had her in the Sharpshooter!"

The fans went to their feet with a roar as Brianna walked onto the stage to Meteor with a microphone in in hand. "You seem to be forgetting one thing Natalya." Brianna spoke as the crowd began a chant of 'Hawaii Five 0'. "The only reason you even had me in that position last week was because of the two women in that ring. Who, like you will at Roadblock, have failed to take this title away from me." Natalya laughed at Brianna as Carmella and Alexa sent her scathing looks.

"Brianna, you're just not that bright, are you. Why would you come out here by yourself just so we could do the same thing to you this week that we did to you last week." Brianna sent Natalya a smirked before she spoke into her microphone again.

"I'm not quite as dumb as you think Natalya. You see, I'm out here to tell you that I spoke to Daniel Bryan and at Roadblock, your little lackeys will be preoccupied. Carmella will be facing... Nikki Bella." The crowd cheered loudly as the woman walked down the ramp to join Brianna. "And Alexa will be facing... Becky Lynch." The crowd roared as Becky walked down the ramp with Jordan in tow to Riot. They entered the ring and Jordan kept a lookout for the Wyatt family as the six females got in each others faces. When it looked like they were about to come to blows, the lights shut off and the Wyatt family appeared on the Titantron.

"We're here." Bray stated before blowing his lantern out. The three men made their way down the ramp as everyone in the ring tensed. "Brianna, it's time to quit avoiding the inevitable. It's time for you to take your place as Sister Abigail! I won't-" Bray was interrupted as the lights raised and Andy Mercier, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson attacked the Wyatt family from behind. Gallows and Anderson quickly laid waste to Harper and Rowan as Andy delivered a Super kick to Bray. Jordan watched the display in surprise as Brianna, Nikki and Becky ran their opposition out of the ring.

"And don't think I've forgotten about you Bray." Brianna spoke again as Andy called Gallows and Anderson off of their targets. "Despite if Erick beats Jordan next week or not, he'll face Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in a tag team match with Luke Harper. If he does double duty or not, we'll that depends on next week." Brianna lowered her microphone as the fans chanted 'Bullet Club!', 'Jordan's gonna kill you!', 'Lass Kicker!', 'We want Nikki!' and 'Hawaii Five 0!'.

"Wow! Brianna has all of her grounds covered for Battleground!" Jerry Lawler called as Andy, Luke and Karl jumped the barricade and made their ways through the fans.

"And what a Battleground it's shaping up to be! Stay tuned! Smackdown will be right back!"

XXX

Wrap. So, Andy has officially made the turn to... Tweener. This has been planned for a while and it was always my intention to turn him heel with the Bullet Club. But when I was writing it is just couldn't pull the trigger on him being a complete heel. It doesn't feel like the time is right. But after almost thirty chapters it was time for a change. So Andy is now a Tweener. So now Andy has officially brought the Club to the WWE, Jordan is barreling toward his buried alive match with Bray, the Wyatt family is now side tracked, Brianna is set to take Natalya on and Andy is now set to face Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship. There will be NO Bullet Club intervention in that match.

And now Brianna has all bases covered! But how will Jordan work things out when he has one brother in The New Day and one in The Club, who don't see eye to eye? And who is it that offered Jordan help? All of that and more as the next chapter will include Battleground. I'm going to go try to get on a WiFi network to post my last three chapters. I plan to have the next chapter be as long as I can and I don't want to put these chapters off that long.

Until next time guys,

I'm sorry I pulled the trigger on Andy not being a baby face anymore! I hope you continue to read until he returns to that style!


	30. Chapter 30

Blitzkrieg 1.9

Andy walked into the Raw arena with Bayley. Luke and Karl were close behind them as Andy looked left and right while chewing on a piece of gum. "Excuse me, Andy!" Andy turned with a slight grimace to face Byron Saxton. "Do you have a minute?"

"Well, we're already here, so I guess so. What can I do for you?"

"Last week you fought Finn Balor in your number one contender match. For the most part, you had the advantage at the end of the match. Then... well, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson behind you there came out. It looked like you and Finn were going to fend them off. And then you super kicked Finn and apparently joined forces with them. Can you tell me... why?" Andy chewed his gum for a second before he answered.

"It's survival of the fittest. You see, Finn was trying to form the Club behind my back. But what Finn forgot is that my run with the Club was closer than his was. So when he came to Luke and Karl, they came to me. Because we're family. And I told them, do what he asked you to do this week. Then, we'll make things right... so now, Finn is out of his title shot and out of this Club. And this isn't just any club. This isn't the 'Balor Club', or the 'Mercier Club' or even just 'THE Club'. This is Bullet Club." Andy walked away from Byron with Bayley close by his side.

Karl and Luke smiled as they placed their hands together in the Too Sweet hand sign. "For Life."

Seth Rollins walked out on the ramp to his music, his WWE Universal Championship displayed proudly on his shoulder. He looked left and right before making his way down the ramp and into the ring. He entered the ring and retrieved a microphone from an official. He stood in the middle of the ring and looked around at the crowd before he spoke. "So, I guess that I'm facing Andy Mercier this sunday with my title on the line. My question is, am I facing Andy Mercier, or am I facing Andy Mercier and this little group of his? You see, I think I like this guy a little more now, because you do what you have to do in this business to survive. Hell, I did that when I planted a steel chair into the rest of the Shield. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to let him show up to Roadblock and cost me my title by letting two goons run through and knock me off. It's not going to happen. So-" Seth was cut off as the lights flashed through the arena.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" A deep voice echoed through the arena and the crowd cheered loudly as Shot'em by [Q]Bricks played throughout the arena. Andy, Luke and Karl appeared on top of the stage and the crowd shook the stadium as they screamed on stomped their feet. Luke and Karl wore their typical attire they wrestled in in New Japan with the Bullet Club printed on them. Andy wore a Bullet Club tee shirt under a black leather jacket with a black clothed hood attached to it and pulled over his head. He wore black cargo pants and black combat boots with his laces hanging out. Over his lower face he wore a black bandanna with the lower skull of the Bullet Club logo printed on it.

The three men walked down the ramp, touching their hands to the fans with the Too Sweet hand sign. Andy jumped onto the barricade separating the fans from the ramp. The fans grabbed wildly at his jacket as he outstretched his arms. Andy slid his hood from his head and pulled his bandanna down as the camera zoomed in on him. "Bullet Club is here!" Andy called as he aimed his hands like guns at the camera before jumping back to the ramp. The three reached the end of the ramp before Andy lifted his hand to stop the other two. They waited at the end of the ramp as Andy climbed the steel steps and entered the ring before taking a microphone of his own. "You're worried about Bullet Club, Seth. We're not some little group. We're part of a larger family that spreads across the entire world and features some of the best wrestlers in this business."

"Whatever." Seth retorted as he waved his hand dismissively. "I see three guys and only one of them is one I should be worried about. I don't want the other two costing me my title!" Andy chuckled at Seth's words as he shrugged.

"Seth, don't worry about Luke and Karl. They won't be at ringside when it comes to our match. I'm going to beat you fair and square, just like I would have at TLC if you hadn't cost me the number one contender tournament. I don't want any reason for you to cry wolf. When I beat you, it'll be on my own. Hell, if it makes you feel better, when I go backstage I'll go find Mick and have him ban them from ringside. If they show up I automatically lose. Will that make you feel a little more secure Seth?" Seth eyed Andy as he spoke in a mocking voice before responding.

"Just make sure they stay out of my way this sunday." Seth dropped his microphone and exited the ring. Andy watched as he walked up to Luke and Karl who stood in his way. Seth yelled at the two as he was unable to go up the ramp, and stepped back when they took an imposing step forward. Then, with a wave of Andy's hand, they chuckled and stepped to the side. Seth hurriedly walked past them and up the ramp. Luke and Karl turned and made their way into the ring, joining Andy. Luke grabbed Seth's discarded microphone while Karl grabbed a new one from an official outside the ring.

"Now that that's out of the way." Karl spoke with a smirk as he indicated up the ramp. "New Day, we have some unfinished business. You see, you've had an impressive record setting run with the tag team titles. But we've been out of that title picture for a while, and the last time we faced you, we were this close, this close... to beating you. Now, our hands our already tied when it comes to Roadblock. But we don't have anything going on at the Royal Rumble. And I think it's high time that Gallows and I-"

The fans cheered as the New Day's theme song played and the three men danced down to the ring. Andy leaned on the top rope as they entered the ring. "Anderson!" Xavier spoke as if he had just run into an old friend. "You and Gallows there are old news! There's nothing that you bring to the table that we haven't beaten already. Except Andy."

"Yeah, you know, you really surprised me Andy." Kofi picked up where his friend left off. "I mean, I had little alarms going off when you were talking about these two after they had just beat you with steel chairs. But I thought, no this is Jordan's friend. He's got a good head on his shoulders. He knows what's good and what's not. But here you are, slumming it up with these two."

"These two are my brothers." Andy returned as he pushed off the ropes to stand by the Bullet Club and face off against the New Day. "Jordan is my brother. But Kofi, you're just extended family through him. So you might want to watch what you say before I forget how close you two are and Super Kick your head off."

"I'd like to see you try." Big E spoke as he stepped forward. "I mean, what are you? Are you the 'True Shooter'? Are you the 'King of Strong Style'? Or are you just another Shawn Michaels wannabe? You know what I think these three need Kofi?"

"Oh, I know what they need Big E! They need some Booty O's to fix their attitudes!" Andy chuckled as he licked his lips.

"You know, Kofi, that's real funny. You know what else is funny?" There was a pause before Andy super kicked Xavier Woods, sending him stumbling back through the ropes and to ring side. Big E rushed forward and plowed into Andy before turning around into a chokebomb from Gallows. Kofi went for a Trouble in Paradise on Gallows, and knocked him to the ground as Big E rolled to ringside. Anderson went for a cutter on Kofi, but he shoved the man away. As Anderson turned, Kofi prepared for another Trouble in Paradise, but was hit with a super kick. Kofi crumbled to the ground as Andy and Karl helped Luke up. On Andy's instructions, Luke and Karl picked Kofi up and drove him to the mat with an aided snap swinging neckbreaker.

The Bullet Club stood tall as Shot'em played while they lifted their hands into the air with the Too Sweet hand sign. Raw faded away on this image.

"I know, Kofi. I know, I was watching. I can't control what Andy does." Jordan spoke into his phone as he waited backstage at Smackdown. "Well to be fair, you should've seen it coming when you walked out there. No I'm not defending them! That's why I don't want to be stuck in the middle of this Kofi! I don't want to be stuck between you and Andy! If you two have problems with one another, you should be able to solve it yourselves! I'll talk to you later, mate." Jordan hung up his phone and shook his head as he rubbed his temples.

"What did Kofi want?" Becky questioned as she massaged Jordan's shoulders.

"To complain. I don't support either one of them against the other. But at least Andy hasn't called me about it." Becky gave Jordan a sigh and walked around to stare him in the eye.

"You had to know something would come from Andy teaming up with Luke and Karl. I still don't like it myself, but... they took care of the Wyatts last week and I'm not going to hold anything against Andy for that. Look, you have enough on your mind with Bray. You don't need their drama added on top of it. Keep your mind on what directly involves you." Jordan nodded his head as he stood to his feet.

"You're right. Killing Bray Wyatt for putting his hands on you. That's all I need to worry about." Becky gave him a worried smile before kissing him on the cheek. Jordan walked off down the hall and reached the curtains, waiting as Erick Rowan walked down the ramp to the ring. Last the prior week, the other two members of the Wyatt family were suspiciously absent. Jordan shook his head and took a deep breath as Riot began playing. Jordan stepped through the curtains and out into darkness. When the lights rose, he stood at the top of the ramp with a focused look on his face. He came down to one knee before giving his yell of "One man enters and one man leaves!". He got to his feet and made his way down the ramp. He paused at the end to bend and look at the camera before jumping on the apron and running the ropes. He threw his shirt to the crowd before entering the ring. He stared across the ring at Erick as the referee looked back and forth between them before he called for the bell. The two broke away from their corners and slowly circled the other. Erick made a wild swing for Jordan, who dodged out of the way before kicking the man in his gut. Erick bent over and Jordan delivered a stiff shot to his face Erick stumbled back and Jordan got a few shots in on his abdomen before Erick gave him a violent Headbutt. Jordan shook his head, dazed, before he was lifted up into a power slam. Erick got back to his feet and grabbed Jordan by his shoulders and wrenched him from the ground to his feet. Then, he was launched across the ring. Jordan hit the mat and lay there for a second before he pulled himself to his feet. Erick rushed into him quickly, slamming into him as fast as he could. Jordan launched through the air again and slammed into a corner. Erick followed after and clotheslined him. Jordan stumbled out into a sidewalk slam. He reached over and pulled himself up using the ropes. When Erick rushed at him with a big boot, he dropped down and pulled the top rope before letting it go, hanging Erick up on the top rope. Jordan got back to his feet and rushed forward with a violent strike to the face. Erick fell backward on the rope before Jordan jerked him off the ropes and slammed him to the mat.

Jordan covered Erick's upper body with his own before delivering hard knees to the top of his skull. He broke away when the referee forced him to. Jordan stood to his feet and waited on Erick to get to his feet. Jordan shot forward with a few palm strikes that knocked the man backwards before delivering a kick to the middle of his chest. Erick fell back into a corner where Jordan kneed him in the abdomen before letting him fall into a sitting position. Jordan hit him with a knee to the face, forcing him to slump forward where Jordan stomped on his back. Erick arched his back and stumbled to his feet. He turned around into a spear from Jordan. "M16!" Michael called just before the lights went out. Bray Wyatt appeared on the Titantron with Luke Harper holding a lantern.

"We're here." Bray's voice echoed through the arena. Jordan watched as they appeared on the ramp. He eyes narrowed with rage as Luke held a figure hostage. Becky. "Jordan! I've grown tired of these games you play. I offered you a chance to fly to planes that you can't even comprehend. Now, I'm going to bury you this sunday. And if you don't want your sins to cost poor Becky here you'll lay there in the ring for Erick. Lay down Jordan! Just lay down and-"

The three members of the Bullet Club jumped the barricade separating the crowd from the ramp and descended on the Wyatt family. Luke released Becky seconds before he was pulled onto Andy's shoulders in a torture rack style before Andy hit him with an inverted Ride the Mercier. Meanwhile, Bray was pulled into an aided snap swinging neckbreaker. "The Bullet Club has invaded Smackdown again!" Jordan turned around in the ring and dodged a big boot from Erick. The Wyatt family member turned around into a violent high knee that sent him to the ground. "Erick Rowan is out! Jordan wins! Erick Rowan and Luke Harper are banned from Jordan's match this sunday at Roadbloack!" Jordan stood to his feet as Riot played and hugged Becky when she entered the ring. He looked up the ramp to where Andy and his club stood, flashing him the Too Sweet hand sign before they jumped back over the barricade and made their way through the crowd as Smackdown went to commercial.

Brianna walked down the hallways backstage toward the gorilla position, when a voice called out to her. "WhatCulture! 4-4-4 4 Life!" She turned around and smiled as Andy approached her with Luke and Karl close behind. They all wore Bullet Club tee shirts and black boots, but Andy wore black cargo pants while the other two wore blue jeans.

"Hey! What are you doing back here? Don't let Shane or Daniel catch you!" Andy shrugged at the warning as Luke and Karl chuckled.

"We're not scared of Smackdown management." Andy spoke as he chewed on gum. "What are they going to do? Fine us? This thing with the Wyatts is family business to me. Which means it's Club business." Brianna stared at him as he blew a bubble.

"You have a gum addiction." Brianna spoke suddenly, causing Andy to raise and eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"You're always chewing gum backstage." Andy chewed his gum a few more times before shrugging.

"Better than smoking. Anyway, the reason I'm back here is to talk to you real quick. This sunday you have Natalya one on one, and really the only thing you really have to worry about is the Sharpshooter. Which I learned from the best."

"So you're going to help me with the Sharpshooter?"

"Show up to the arena this sunday at the time you used to show up to train. It won't take too long." Brianna nodded and Andy gave her a wave as she began her track back to the gorilla position.

Andy turned and stuck his hands in his pockets as he began walking again. He paused as he caught a monitor as Smackdown came back from commercial. Jordan was still in the ring with Becky held close. He now held a microphone in his hand. "Bray, you like to push people when they shouldn't be pushed." He called as the Wyatt family retreated backstage. "But it there's one thing that I have learned from you, it's that there are things in this world that you have to open your mind to to understand. And I got a little help... from Hell's Favorite Demon and The Deadman." The crowd cheered at his words as Jordan clenched his jaws. "Bray, this sunday I'm putting you in your grave. But Bray, I'm not looking to make you rest in peace. I want to make sure you burn in hell!" Jordan threw his microphone to the outside.

Andy chuckled as he turned from the monitor. "That Muppet Bray's in for the beating of his life. Undertaker and Kane huh? Can't believe I'm saying it but he might just be the better striker now."

"What now, boss man?" Luke asked, causing Andy to look at him over his shoulder.

"I drop you two off and go find Bayley. I thought we already went over this?"

The crowd cheered as Brianna stepped onto the stage to Meteor, looking down the ramp to her opponent, Carmella. Brianna walked down to the ring and entered it, holding her title high before handing it to an official outside. She walked to her corner and bounced in place as the referee outstretched his arms to either woman. Then, he called for the bell. The two women moved forward and Carmella went for a kick to her side. Brianna dodged it and moved forward with a forearm. Carmella pulled back and lashed out with a kick to Brianna's abdomen. Brianna doubled over and was caught with a swinging neck breaker. Carmella got to her feet with a smirk and kicked Brianna while she was on the ground. Brianna flipped onto her stomach and pushed up to her feet. She dodged away from Carmella before hitting her with a spinning heel kick. Carmella fell to one knee and Brianna delivered a low dropkick. Carmella hit the mat and Brianna dropped a knee down on her face. Carmella held her face as she thrashed and rolled away.

She got to her feet and dodged away as Brianna came running at her with a forearm. Brianna turned into a kick to her abdomen that caused her to double over. Carmella bounced off the ropes and caught Brianna with a big boot. Brianna's head whipped back and she hit the mat. Carmella dragged her to her feet by her hair before flipping her down to the mat. Brianna held her back as Carmella delivered a stiff kick to it. Carmella pulled Brianna up again, but Brianna broke her hold and jerked on her hair before delivering a spinning heel kick. She gave the crowd an 'I didn't do anything wrong' look before pulling Carmella to her feet and hitting her with a lifting single underhook DDT. "Kelly Maneuver! And now she's putting in the Melanie Rose!" Brianna pulled harshly on the hold, but released it as Natalya and Alexa came rushing down the ramp. The two paused at the end of the ramp as Brianna yelled at them. Becky Lynch and Nikki Bella slammed into the women from behind, throwing them to different areas of ringside. Brianna turned around into a kick to her abdomen before Carmella drove her to the mat with the same DDT she had used.

"And now Carmella using the Kelly Maneuver!" Jerry called as Carmella picked the win up off the pin. She quickly slid from the ring as her music played. Becky and Nikki entered the ring and helped Brianna to her feet. Carmella moonwalked up a little ways up the ramp as Natalya and Alexa joined her before she mockingly waved the Shaka sign. Smackdown faded to commercial as Becky handed Brianna her title.

"Welcome to Roadblock!" Phillips called happily.

"And do we have a great card or what?" Corey added as he smiled.

Jordan watched as Luke Harper and Erick Rowan began making their way down the ramp for their tag team match. A chair planted itself into Luke's back, sending him rolling down the ramp. Erick turned around and the chair slammed into his head, courtesy of Andy Mercier. Andy jammed the chair into Erick's abdomen before slamming it into his back. He turned and smashed the chair into Harper's skull, sending both of the men to the ramp before and turned and walked up to the stage. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson passed him on his way backstage. He passed his chair off to Karl with a 'Good luck' Before he disappeared behind the curtain.

Andy walked backstage, and stopped when he walked into Jordan. "Hey mate." Andy spoke with a brief wave.

"You know, maybe it's hypocritical of me because if it had been under any other circumstances I would have held what you just did against you. But with what the Wyatt family has done... good on you, mate."

Before Andy could reply, a new voice spoke up. "Jordan! Hey man, woah. What're you doing hanging out with this wannabe?" Kofi spoke as he and the rest of the New Day appeared nearby. Jordan sighed as Andy chuckled.

"You know, that's funny Kofi. I mean really, I don't know why you're a wrestler. Your comedic skills way outrank your wrestling skills. If I were you, I'd rethink my career choice you bloody muppet."

"What did you say!?"

"You heard me! You haven't come close to a singles championship in years because you have to have a partner to carry you through your matches. In this case, two. And they aren't that good at it anyway."

"You listen here-" Xavier stepped forward before Jordan put his hands up.

"That's enough! I mean really, I don't want to be stuck between this. You guys need to work this out. Kofi, Andy, you're my brothers. I'm not going to pick a side here. Whatever you do, don't solve it tonight. If any of you put your hands on Andy then you're messing with the number one contender. And if the Bullet Club put their hands on any of you, they're touching the tag team champions. I'm sure Mick wouldn't appreciate either one. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have someone to bury alive."

Jordan walked away, leaving the New Day alone with Andy. Andy looked at the three men and shook his head as he walked away. "Come on guys." Kofi spoke as Andy made his way to the men's locker room. "We'll deal with the Booty Club later!"

Bray Wyatt stood in the center of the ring as his music died and he waited on Jordan. He glanced up the ramp to where a grave set, waiting. The lights shut off and the crowd screamed in anticipation. You're Going Down by Sick Puppies began playing and the lights raised to show Jordan standing on top of the stage with a focused look on his face. He wore a pair of black tights with a skull placed over a Union Jack with MMA gloves in its eyes. He wore black boots and black tape on his hands. He wore a black shirt with 'Be a Phenom', 'Strike First' and 'Family First' while on the back it read 'Always Remember Your Lass Kicker' with a pair of crossbones. He came down to one knee and looked at his fist before planting it in the stage with a cry of 'One man enters and one man leaves!' As he went back to his feet. He stalked down the ramp and paused at the end to turn and look at the camera. He shadow boxed briefly before jumping onto the apron. Jordan ran the ropes and paused at the last turnbuckle. He patted the top of it before taking his shirt and throwing it to the crowd. He climbed the side of the turnbuckle and dropped down over the top rope into the ring. He bounced from foot to foot as his music died. The referee wearily glanced back and forth before calling for the bell. Jordan and Bray broke out of the corner and slowly circled each other. They locked up before Jordan shoved Bray away and delivered a harsh blow to the side of his head. Bray shook his head before Jordan began slamming punches into his abdomen, causing him to stumble back. A jab to his jaw caused Bray to fall back into the ropes. Jordan followed after him, and Bray kicked him in the abdomen before grabbing Jordan by the back of his head. Bray threw Jordan through the top and middle ropes to where he smacked his head on the ground outside. Bray released a laugh before he slid from the ring. He reached under the apron and retrieved a steel chair. When he stood to his feet though, a well placed kick from Jordan launched the weapon into Bray's face. Bray stumbled back and Jordan grabbed him by his hair and slammed his face onto the barricade. Bray's head bounced up and Jordan began slamming his fists into Bray's abdomen. Bray stumbled to the side and Jordan followed after him. Bray grabbed him around his waist before pulling him down, slamming his face into the apron. Sliding around Jordan, Bray grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed his face into ring post. Jordan spun to the side before hitting the ground. The Wyatt family leader grabbed Jordan by his leg and began dragging him around the ring. He reached the end of the ramp before Jordan kicked him away. Jordan rolled to his feet and dodged a clothesline.

Bray spun and was kneed in the gut. Jordan grabbed him by the shoulders and rammed his back into the barricade separating the crowd from the ramp. Bray stumbled forward where Jordan caught him with a violent uppercut. Bray fell backward and Jordan began punching the top of his skull. Bray lurched forward and shoved Jordan away before jumping from the ground and dragging Jordan down to the ramp. He mounted the former United States Champion and began punching at his face. Jordan kept his hands in front of him, blocking as best he could before he shot up with a jab that caused Bray to fall to the side. Jordan shifted his weight, and changed their positions before he began unloading on Bray's face. Bray tried to worm his way up the ramp and away from Jordan, but Jordan kept himself on top of the other man. Finally, Bray spun his lower body and sent Jordan to the side. Bray stumbled to his feet and slammed his elbow into Jordan's face as he rushed him. Pulling Jordan forward, Bray bent his back and hit him with a Sister Abigail. Jordan's body rolled up the ramp in the direction it was sent. Bray laughed as he propped himself up against the barricade before using it as leverage to stand to his feet. He stalked forward and grabbed Jordan's arm before dragging him close to the grave waiting just off to the side of the stage.

Jordan rolled suddenly, breaking Bray's hold on him. Jordan however kept hold on Bray's wrist and pulled him into a spear. "M16! Jordan hit him with the M16! But now they're just laying there! Somebody needs to get up to take advantage!" Phillips exclaimed from the announce table as Bray amd Jordan lay in dirt. Jordan slowly began to pull himself to his feet when he saw to forms approaching him from the stage.

"Well, you should've known that the Wyatt family weren't going to let Bray get buried!" Corey called as Luke Harper and Erick Rowan stalked forward. Before they could reach Jordan, the lights shut down with the sound of a gong. The crowd roared in the darkness before flames sprouted from the stage. Darkness consumed the arena again before the lights rose. Luke and Erick were simply gone. Jordan looked around before turning into a fist from Bray. Jordan's head shot to the side before he returned the strike. They traded blows back and forth until Bray struck out with a kick that caused Jordan to bend over. Bray pulled him forward and kissed his head before laying him out with another Sister Abigail. Bray slowly got to his feet with a laugh before Jordan shot up like Dracula rising from a coffin. Bray frowned before reaching down and dragging Jordan up. Jordan shoved him away before hitting him with a vicious high knee.

"Oh! He calls that the Sterling Special!" Phillips called. "And Bray Wyatt looks like he's out on his feet here!" Bray stumbled on the edge of the grave before Jordan speared him into it. "Another M16! But both men are in the grave! Who's going to get buried!?" Everything was still for a moment. Then, a hand shot out of the grave and grabbed the edge. Jordan pulled himself out and sat on the side of the grave as he lifted a thumbs up. Then, he turned it into a thumbs down and dirt filled the grave with Bray inside. "Bray Wyatt has been buried alive! Jordan did it!" You're going down played as Jordan pushed himself to his feet. He placed his hands on his hips and began walking to the ramp as the fans cheered. He glanced to the camera as it got close to him.

"That's it." He spoke into it. "He's done." He tiredly made his way backstage as the fans cheered loudly. When he broke the curtains, Becky pulled him into a hug.

"I was worried about you!" She spoke, causing the man to smile as he kissed her forehead.

"It's alright." He glanced over and found Brianna nearby. She smiled at him and shook the Shaka hand sign, which he returned with a chuckle.

Brianna watched as Jordan and Becky walked down the hall together before turning to face the curtains as she heard the shrill guitar chord of Natalya's theme. She watched a nearby monitor as she made her way down to the ring and entered it before her music died. Brianna took a deep breath as she waited. Meteor began playing and Brianna burst through the curtains to the cheers of the fans. She smiled as she posed on the top of the stage before unstrapping her title and lifting her hand with the Shaka sign. She made her way down the ramp and walked to the side of the ring before climbing onto the apron. She looked out at the crowd with a smile as they chanted 'Hawaii Five 0' before giving them the Shaka sign again. She entered the ring and handed her title to the referee. He held it high as her music ended before letting it be taken to ringside. He returned to his spot and checked with both women before calling for the ball. Brianna and Natalya rushed toward each other and locked up. They battled for dominance until Natalya finally won it, dragging Brianna into a headlock. Natalya kneed her in the abdomen before shoving her away and going for a clothesline. Brianna dodged to the side and kicked Natalya's leg. Natalya stumbled before hitting Brianna with a spinning clothesline. Brianna hit the mat and Natalya went to stomp her. Brianna rolled away and launched to her feet with a forearm. Natalya dropped to the mat where Brianna fell on her with an elbow drop. Natalya rolled to her feet and dodged a spinning heel kick. Brianna doubled over as Natalya kicked her in the abdomen before she went face first to the mat with a running Bulldog. Natalya grabbed Brianna's right leg before slamming her knee into the mat.

Brianna flipped over onto her back and held her knee as Natalya bounced off the ropes before coming back with a leg drop. Brianna rolled away and got to her feet. Natalya ran at her for a clothesline, but Brianna dropped down and wrapped her legs around her opponent's, dropping her to the mat. Brianna twisted her legs up into a submission that was quickly broke as Natalya grabbed the bottom rope. Brianna got to her feet and delivered a low dropkick to Natalya as she made her way to her feet. Natalya fell back to the mat, and Brianna pulled her to the middle of the ring and rolled her up for a pin. It was broken when Natalya kicked out. Natalya rolled to her feet and kicked one of Brianna's feet out from under her before driving her face to the mat with a DDT. Brianna bounced up and Natalya gave a yell before dragging her to her feet and bouncing her off the ropes. Brianna came back with a flying hip attack that sent Natalya down. Brianna flashed the Shaka hand sign and bounced off the ropes. Natalya rolled under her, and when Brianna came back she went for a dropkick.

Natalya dodged back and grabbed her legs, forcing her back to slam into the mat. Natalya wrapped her legs around one of her own before flipping her over onto her stomach. "Natalya has the Smackdown Women's Champion locked in the Sharpshooter! Are we going to have a new champion!?" Phillips called. Brianna yelled in pain as she forced herself up on her palms. When it looked like she was going to try to crawl to the ropes, she jammed her arms into the mat, launching her up just enough for her to slide her body under Natalya. Natalya stumbled back, breaking her submission. Natalya made to grab Brianna, but the champion caught her with a spinning heel kick before pulling her into a Bridging Muta Lock. "Now the Melanie Rose! Will Natalya be the one to tap!?" Natalya cried out in pain as she fought to break the hold. She inched forward across the mat, trying to somehow reach the ropes, but she was too far out in the middle of the ring. She started tapping the mat.

"And Miss Hawaii Five 0 retains!" Corey announced as the referee called for the bell while Meteor began playing. Brianna pushed Natalya away and jumped to her feet with a smile as she retrieved her title. She held it high with a smile and laughed as the fans cheered wildly for her. She exited the ring and began walking up the ramp, touching hands with fans while shaking the Shaka sign. She disappeared through the curtains into the backstage area. She smiled as she held the title proudly on her shoulder.

"Congratulations!" Brianna turned as Andy approached her. "I knew you had Natalya's number when you slipped through that Sharpshooter. I told you it wouldn't take long to figure that out." Brianna smiled at him and waved at Bayley as she noticed her.

"Congratulations Brianna!"

"You too, Bayley!" Brianna responded as they hugged one another. "Putting one over Charlotte. Again." Bayley laughed at her words. "Well, I'll see you guys later. I'm going to go get changed. Good luck, Andy." Andy gave a brief wave as Brianna walked down the hallway to the women's locker room. Bayley took a deep breath as she heard Seth Rollins music playing.

"Well, it's time." Bayley spoke as Andy rolled his shoulder. "Good luck out there. And be careful." Andy glanced down to her and smiled before bending down to kiss her cheek. Bayley stood still as she reached up to touch the spot.

"Aren't I always?" Andy questioned before he made off down the hall. He waited a few seconds at the gorilla position as Seth finished his entrance. Andy rolled his shoulder again as the lights began flashing between red and white and a females voice echoed through the arena.

"Attention Citizens. This is a city wide announcement, a level red situation is in effect. All non sanctioned personal evacuate immediately to all designated zones. Repeat: Level red, evacuate now." The fans cheered as they waited for Andy before roaring as a man's voice spoke out.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em by [Q]Bricks played as Andy stepped out onto the stage. Andy wore his white tights with Black initials, except they now had the lower skull of the Bullet Club logo printed on either leg in black with Bullet Club written under them. He wore white knee pads that blended into the tights and his regular black and white 'KING' boots. His hands were taped as usual with white tape. Andy wore a black Bullet Club shirt over which he wore a black leather jacket with a black clothed hood attached to the neck that was pulled over his head. Wrapped around his lower face was a black bandanna with the lower skull of the Bullet Club logo printed on it.

Andy reached up and removed his hood before slowly lowering his hands to aim them at Seth like a gun. Andy walked halfway down the ramp before stopping. He stretched his right arm out. Instead of the normal "Style" Yell, the fans cried "Bullet!". Andy nodded in acceptance and stuck his left arm out to "Club!". Andy lowered his arms and jumped onto the barricade separating him from the fans. They grabbed at him as he reached up and lowered his bandanna. He outstretched his arms with a smirk. "Bullet Club 4 Life!" He called before hopping off the barricade. He took his bandanna off and tossed it to the crowd as he walked the rest of the way down the ramp. He jumped onto the apron and let his leg dangle off the edge before standing to his feet. He removed his jacket and dropped it to ringside where it was retrieved by an official before he climbed the turnbuckle and did his Hangman's Draw. He removed his shirt and threw it to the crowd before dropping into the ring with a Shawn Michaels spin. He stopped after a moment and aimed his right hand at Seth like a gun as his music faded. The referee held the WWE Universal Championship high for the crowd before handing it over to someone outside the ring. He outstretched his arms to both men and looked back and forth before he called for the bell.

Andy and Seth moved forward and circled each other before locking up. They pushed back and forth on the other before Seth pulled Andy into a headlock. Andy shoved him away and wrenched his arm out. Seth jerked his arm back and went for a kick to Andy's head. Andy ducked down under it and locked up with Seth again. Andy dodged down to the side before coming behind Seth and pulling his arm behind his back. Seth moved forward before he jerked around and reversed their positions. Andy jerked out to the side and pulled Seth's arm, dragging him into a headlock. Seth shoved him away before wrenching his arm out. Andy performed a low front flip and made to swipe Seth's legs out from under him. Seth jumped over Andy's arm, breaking his hold on his opponent. The two broke away from one another and walked a circle in the ring as the crowd cheered. Seth made to strike at Andy, but the number one contender dodged to the side. Andy sent a kick to Seth's side, but the champion caught his leg and pinned it between his arm and body. Seth went to elbow Andy's leg, but Andy jerked it away, causing Seth to stumble forward. Andy went for a forearm that Seth ducked down underneath. Seth bounced off the ropes and came back with a dropkick that Andy dodged by sliding to the side. As Seth came to his knees, Andy went for a knee to the skull, but Seth dropped down under it. Seth popped up onto his feet and the two wrestlers stared at each other.

They moved forward to lock up again, and Seth lashed out with a kick that caught Andy in the abdomen. Andy doubled over and Seth kneed him in the face. Andy stumbled back and Seth rushed forward, smashing his forearm into his face. Andy fell to the mat and Seth bounced off the ropes. When Andy came back to his knees, Seth caught him with a running knee. Andy hit the mat and Seth stomped on his chest a few times before his opponent rolled away. Andy got to his feet and dodged to the side as Seth made to clothesline him. Seth turned around into a step up Enzuigiri that caused him to fall to one knee. Andy kneed the man in the side of the head twice before Seth fell to the canvas. Andy lightly bounced off the ropes and walked forward before jumping in the air to bring his knee down on Seth's face. Seth rolled away and Andy's knee slammed into the mat. Andy jumped to one foot and Seth caught him with a dropkick.

Andy fell to the mat and Seth launched himself into the air before bringing his knee down onto his face. Andy rolled away clutching his face before coming back to his feet. Seth caught Andy in a suplex before dragging him up into a Falcon Arrow. Andy rolled across the mat and Seth pinned him. Andy kicked out at one and made his way back to his feet. Seth went for a dropkick, but Andy dodged to the side. Seth rolled back to his feet and was hit with a flying Yakuza kick. Seth hit the man and when he rolled to his knees, he was hit with a shining wizard. His head shot to the side and he fell to the mat where Andy pinned him. Seth kicked out at one and rolled away. He pulled himself to his feet in a corner and dodged out of the way as Andy went for a stinger splash. Andy turned holding his chest as Seth hit him with a flying forearm. Andy stumbled forward and Seth smashed his forearm into his face. Andy fell back into the corner before Seth flipped him upside down and got his legs caught in the upper ropes. Andy tried to get his legs free as he hung in the tree of woe before Seth caught him with a diving double foot stomp. Andy fell out of the corner and held his head. Seth dragged him to his feet and launched him across the ring into the opposite corner. Andy's back hit the turnbuckle and he flipped on top of the post like Shawn Michaels would before coming back off and hitting Seth with a back elbow that dropped Seth to the mat. Seth was quick to get back to his feet and rushed at Andy, who caught him in a spinebuster.

Seth arched his back and Andy lightly bounced off the ropes before walking forward and launching himself into the air. His knee slammed into Seth's face and the champion rolled away as he thrashed. Seth pulled himself back to his feet in the corner, and Andy launched himself across the ring before hitting him with a Stinger Splash. Seth moved forward holding his chest before Andy Irish whipped him to the opposite corner. Andy cupped his hands around his mouth around and gave a howl before he rushed across the ring. Seth caught his leg as he went for another Stinger splash and flipped him over the top rope. Andy landed on the apron and reached over, catching Seth with a fallaway suplex that dropped his opponent to ringside. Andy launched himself from the apron as Seth arched his back arched arched his back and caught him with a Coup De Grace. "Oh my god! Seth Rollins and Andy Mercier are fighting a war here tonight!" Phillips called as Andy slid into the ring. He bounced off the ropes on the opposite side of the ring and launched himself over the ropes with spaceman moonsault planca. Seth and Andy crashed to the ground as the fans cheered for them. Andy used the barricade to pull himself to his feet before he jumped onto the apron.

He excitedly stomped his feet as he waited for Seth to come to his feet before going for a suicide Arabian press. Seth dodged to the side and slid into the ring as Andy crashed into the ground. Andy held his abdomen and pushed himself to his feet where he was hit with a suicide dive from Rollins.

Rollins pulled Andy to his feet and lifted him on to his shoulders before powerbombing him into the corner of the barricade. Andy arched his back in pain as Seth slid back into the ring. "And now Seth targeting that formerly injured back of Andy's. How smart is that?" Corey spoke as the crowd chanted 'Let's go Mercier, let's go!'. Andy forced himself to his feet as the referee reached a six count before dodging to the side as Seth went for another suicide dive, allowing him to smack headfirst into the barricade. Andy fell onto the apron and slowly rolled into the ring as Seth held his face. Andy used the ropes to pull himself to his feet as Seth tried to brace himself against the barricade. When Seth turned around, Andy springboarded from the ring with a moonsault, slamming into Seth. The two men lay on the outside of the ring before Andy pushed himself up to his feet. He grabbed Seth by the head and pulled him up before shoving him into the ring. Andy followed after him and again used the ropes to pick himself up. Andy pulled Seth to his feet and Irish whipped him into a corner. Andy ran at him and launched himself through the air with a flying high knee. He launched into a series of knees and elbows to the head before dropping to his feet. He grabbed Seth in a headlock and went for and Bulldog, but Seth shoved him and way. Andy came to his knees and Seth caught him with a super kick.

"Wow! That could be it!" Phillips cried out as Andy's head snapped to the side before he fell to the mat. Seth went for a cover, but Andy broke it after the count of two hit. Seth stood to his feet and slowly pulled Andy up. Andy shoved him away and caught him with a kick to his head. Seth stumbled forward where Andy pulled him onto his shoulders before delivering a Go 2 Sleep. "Ride the Mercier! But Seth gets out of the pin!" Andy sat up and coughed as he felt the side of his face. Seth was pulled to his feet before she shoved Andy away. He went for another super kick, but Andy ducked under it. He grabbed Seth's shoulders and caught him with a Backstabber before flipping him over and transitioning into and Bridging crossface.

"Show no Mercier! The man might have to tap!" Corey crowed in anticipation as Seth yelled in pain while reaching for the bottom rope. He was able to break the hold by rolling his body forward. He came to his feet and ducked under a kick from Andy before kicking him in the abdomen. Andy doubled over and Seth pulled him into a pedigree. "Pedigree! Goodnight, that's it!" Seth went for a pin, but Andy was still able to get his shoulder up at two. Seth looked around in shock as the fans chanted 'This is awesome!'. Seth shook his head and went to climb the turnbuckle. Andy shoved himself to his feet with a burst of adrenaline and pulled Seth from the top rope into a torture rack style before delivering a Ura G2S. "Inverted Ride the Mercier!" Andy went for a cover, but Seth forced his shoulder out. Andy slowly stood to his feet while pulling Seth up. Seth broke Andy's hold on him by slamming his elbow into the side of his skull before hitting Andy with a Standing Shiranui. Seth forced himself to his feet and climbed the turnbuckle. He launched himself through the air with a frog splash before he crawled into a pin. Still, Andy was able to break it at the last possible second. Seth pulled Andy to his feet before driving him to the mat with a second Pedigree.

"Why won't you stay down!?" Seth screamed as he stumbled to his feet. He went back up a turnbuckle and waited as Andy tried find his footing in a dazed state. Then, he launched through the air with a diving high knee. Andy's body shot up straight before he fell to the mat. Seth lay beside the man, staring up at the ceiling with a dazed look himself.

"These two are killing each other in that ring... but neither one wants to give." Phillips muttered into his headset as Seth flipped onto his stomach and slowly covered Andy. He got a two count before Andy kicked out. The champion covered his face with the mat and pounded on the canvas. "I don't know what either man has to do to pick up the victory here..." Seth pulled Andy to his feet before Andy caught him with an upper cut. Andy turned around and slammed Seth backwards into the mat with an Asai DDT. "And Andy reaching down deep with homage to Ultimo Dragon now!" Andy went for a pin, but Seth quickly got his shoulder up. Andy shook his head and stood to his feet, dragging Seth to his feet with his back bent before dropping him with a inverted DDT. "Scorpion Death Drop!" Andy stumbled backward into the corner and sat there in an crouch, exhausted. He leaned his head back on a turnbuckle as Seth began stirring. Seth fought to his knee where Andy's knee slammed into the back of his skull with a Kinshasa.

"And now Andy's Out!" Corey called in amazement as Andy fell forward on the mat, unable to capitalize off of his move. Andy slowly stirred and dragged himself to his feet. He reached down and pulled Seth to his feet before Seth shoved him away. Seth kicked him in the abdomen before forcing Andy onto his shoulders and powerbombing him into the turnbuckles. He followed this up with a super kick that caused Andy's body to fall into the ropes. Seth stumbled back and tiredly moved his hair out of his eyes before he moved forward and tried to untangle Andy from the ropes. Andy held onto the ropes as Seth tried to pull him away. Andy jerked his legs free before hitting Seth with a Pele kick. Seth's body rag dolled to the side and he rolled to the center of the ring. Andy pulled himself to the corner and held the top rope and he began stomping the mat.

"Andy's tuning up the band!" Phillips called as the fans cheers became a dull roar. Seth found his way to his feet and Andy galloped across the ring before super kicking Seth, causing his body to whip around and fall to the mat. "Sweet Chin Music! That has to be it!" Andy fell on top of Seth for a cover, but rolled across the ring when Seth broke the cover. The crowd went wild as they began alternating between 'Yes!' And 'No!' Chants. Andy and Seth slowly pulled themselves up with the help of the ropes. Andy made for Seth, but Seth used the ropes as leverage and kicked Andy in the abdomen before catching him with a snap single underhook front face lock DDT. Seth went for yet another cover that was broken just before the referee could count to three. The crowd broke into a chant of 'Holy Shit!' As Seth looked around with a dumbfounded expression. "I don't think Seth knows what to do here! These two have done almost everything they can to put one another away and I don't think either man has much left in the tank!"

"Definitely." Corey spoke in amazement. "I don't think Seth, the man, has... wait he's not... he is! Curb stomp! Seth Rollins just Curb Stomped Andy Mercier!" Andy's face planted into the mat and his body twisted before he came to rest on his back. Seth fell onto Andy and the referee began counting. Andy didn't kick out, but the referee stopped the count as he found Andy's foot on the bottom rope. Seth sat up as the the referee explained the situation to him. Seth grabbed his hair and seemed to be trying to pull it out in irritation. He stood to his feet and pulled Andy up. Andy struck him in the face and Seth returned it. They traded tired blows until Seth lashed out with a kick. Andy caught his leg and dropped him to his back. The crowds cheers became deafening as Andy wrapped Seth's legs around one of his own and flipped him onto his stomach. "The Sharpshooter! Andy's got the Sharpshooter locked in and I don't think Seth has it in him to break it!" Seth screamed in pain as Andy put as much torque on him as he could. Seth came to his hands and, much like Brianna had earlier that night, slammed his arms into the mat and flipped under Andy's body. Seth rolled to his feet and kicked Andy in the gut before drawing him in for a pedigree.

"If he hits this it's over!" Phillips called in excitement. Andy twisted out of the move and held onto Seth's arm. He jerked the champion forward and kicked him in the abdomen before driving him into the center of the ring with a Pedigree. Andy came to lay on Seth's back as the crowd shook the stadium. "Oh my god, Andy Mercier with at Pedigree of his own!" Andy slowly rolled Seth over onto his back and the fans counted along with the referee. They jumped to their feet in at collective scream at One for the Money began playing.

"Here is your winner, and NEW WWE Universal Champion, Andy Mercier!"

"He did it! Oh my god Corey, Raw has a new Champion!" Andy lay on top of Seth in the victory pin as the referee grabbed the title and tried to stir him. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson ran down the ramp and slid into the ring, picking their leader up off of the former champion. Luke held Andy up with his arm over his shoulders as he raised Andy's other hand. Meanwhile, Karl took the WWE Universal Championship from the referee and strapped it around Andy's face. The new champion looked around, dazed, as he was lifted onto the shoulders of the other Bullet Club members.

"Well, one thing's for sure, no one can say he doesn't deserve it after that match." Corey stated. Luke and Karl let Andy down as Seth came to his feet. The two wrestlers stared at each other. The crowd cheered as a exhausted Andy held his hand out. Seth stared at it for a moment before reaching out and taking it. The two men fell into a tired hug to keep from falling over. Luke and Karl stepped forward to make sure Andy didn't fall. Then, the New Day made themselves known as they walked down the ramp.

"Congratulations!" Xavier Woods called into a microphone as the trio entered the ring with the four other men. "Raw just went from having a champion that needs some serious Booty O's to having a champion that needs an extra dose of Booty O's!"

Backstage, Jordan shook his head and ran a hand over his face. He glanced over to Becky who shot him a worried look. "This isn't going end well." He stated.

"Right, cause the title just changed from 'The Man' Seth Rollins." Kofi paused to indicate to the tired wrestler with air quotation marks before pointing to Andy. "To the leader of the Booty Club. Now what's wrong with that picture? Shame! Shame on this Club!" Andy and Seth tiredly looked at one another and gave half hearted shrugs before they super kicked Xavier and Kofi. They fell to the mat, and before Big E could respond, Luke and Karl caught him in an aided snap swinging neckbreaker. Andy stumbled and his teammates caught him before he fell. Andy looked around before the three lifted their hands high into the air in the Too Sweet hand sign. Seth stared at them before laughing. The fans roared again and stomped their feet as Seth made the same hand sign and touched it to the other three men.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began playing and Roadblock faded from the air on the four men standing in the ring.

XXX

Wrap. Oh my god guys. Chapter 30, I had to make it big. It is my longest chapter to date in this story with almost ten thousand words and has my longest match ever in it. I hope that match met some expectations. What do you think guys? Seth and Andy a contender for match of the year? Andy has now claimed the WWE Universal Championship for the Bullet Club, Jordan has buried Bray Wyatt alive thus disbanding the Wyatt family at least for the time being, Brianna has put a Roadblock, pun intended, in Natalya's plans of being great and see doesn't have the Wyatt family after her anymore. Or does she? Now we start the track to the Royal Rumble and begin the Road to Wrestlemania.

I want to thank you guys, for thirty chapters. I honestly thought I would be writing this story solely for myself when I posted the first chapter when Andy hit Finn with a back breaker. And now, I have two people actively participating in the story with their wrestlers and I have you guys that read it. I never thought anybody would invest in Andy Mercier but you guys have and for that, I am so thankful. I don't usually bring it up, but if you guys have wrestlers or ideas or something you wanted to see incorporated into the story(besides Andy's love life that's a confusion of its own to me) let me know and I will try to work it into a story in some shape way or form.

Jordan's new finisher, entrance, gear, the idea to have Becky lend him her goggles way back when that was all ThatKiddJordy's(Jordan's owner) ideas. The trip to Hawaii, Briannas family, her Muta lock all RebecaJoleneAumanWilson's(Brianna's owner) ideas. And in all honesty, Andy's return speech probably wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for Saintsrow10 suggesting it! I threw that handshake and hug in there for you too Saint! I hope you guys liked this chapter and I hope it lived up to any expectations. Let me know what you think! Until next time everybody...

Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!


	31. Chapter 31

Blitzkrieg 1.10

"Welcome to Monday Night Raw, we're coming off of a MAJOR Roadbloack and now we're starting out journey to the Royal Rumble!" Michael Cole's voice filtered through his headset as the raucous crowd cheered loudly.

"That's right, Cole. The New Day are continuing their record setting title hold, Bayley was able to retain her WWE Women's Championship against Charlotte. But, most impressive of all as far as Raw goes was the WWE Universal Championship match featuring Seth Rollins and Andy Mercier."

"What a sight that was. I wasn't lucky enough to be be calling the match like you, but I was there to see it live."

"Back and forth they went. They used everything in their arsenal to put each other away. And it finally ended... with a Pedigree." The fans cheered wildly as they were allowed to relive the final moments of the championship match on the Titantron. There was silence for a moment before Seth Rollins music began playing. He slowly walked out onto the stage. He looked left and right and jokingly gestured around his waist where he no longer held the WWE Universal Championship. He slowly walked down the ramp, reaching up and holding his neck every so often. He entered the ring and walked across the ring and retrieved a microphone before his music ended. He looked around with a smirk and outstretched his arms before motioning up and down with his hands.

"Go ahead, make fun. I know you want to. Seth Rollins lost the WWE Universal Championship. But you know, unlike when Finn Balor beat me... I'm okay with this one. Sure, I'm not happy I lost, but I lost to another student of the game. And last night, Andy Mercier was just the better player of that game. You know, he kept his word and the Bullet Club stayed out of our match. I did everything I could to put him away. I super kicked him. I pedigreed him. Hell, I curb stomped him! And he just... kept... getting back up. Everytime I kicked out of his pins, Everytime I broke his submissions... I thought I had him. And I'd throw the next thing I could think of at him. And he'd get right back up. I won't lie. When he pedigreed me, my lights went out." Seth paused to run a hand through his hair.

"There are very, VERY, few people that I respect in this business. Dean Ambrose? No. Roman Reigns? No. John Cena? No. Randy Orton? Nah. Triple H? Yes. Andy Mercier? After the match he gave me last night... Definitely. So, as much as I don't like to say this, if the New WWE Universal Champion would, please come down to the ring." There was silence as the crowd waited in anticipation. Then, the voice they waited on echoed throughout the arena.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began playing and after a moment, Andy limped onto the top of the stage. He was followed closely by his fellow Bullet Club members, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Andy paused at the top of the ramp. While the other two wore their ring gear, Andy wore a Bullet Club tee shirt, an unbuttoned blue flannel shirt, black cargo pants and black combat boots with his laces hanging out. Sitting proudly on his shoulder was the WWE Universal Championship. On the other shoulder was a folded shirt. Andy looked left and right at the crowd before he began limping down the ramp. The three friends touched hands with the fans, flashing their Too Sweet hand signs before they entered the ring. Andy grabbed microphones for all three of the Bullet Club members as their music died.

"I won't lie Andy, I'm in a lot of pain from last night and you have me kind of nervous with those two." Andy flashed Seth a smile before he began chewing, revealing he had gum in his mouth.

"Don't worry about Luke and Karl. I'm in a lot of pain right now too. And I've had enough experience with people jumping me since I joined the WWE. They're just an insurance policy to make sure that nobody tried to get one over on me." Seth put his hands up with a nod and an accepting expression.

"Fair enough. So Andy, I know what it's like, but tell me, what's it like for you to be the WWE Universal Champion?" Andy smirked at the question.

"Well it'd be more impressive if I'd been the first, wouldn't it?" Andy questioned jokingly, referencing his and Seth's altercation before Andy joined with Luke and Karl. "I'm on top of the world. When I won the NXT Championship, I never thought that there'd be anything to match that feeling. But when I won this, the ten year old in me roared to life. Well, after I finally realized what had happened about three hours later." Seth gave Andy a chuckle.

"I'll give you that. I was pretty out of it for a few hours too. I don't even know how I got back to my hotel, I just know I didn't get there on my own. Now that Roadblock is out of the way though, we're on our way to the Royal Rumble. And even though I like you, I still want to be THE man. So what do you say? Andy Mercier versus Seth Rollins part two?" Andy stared at Seth before lowering his head with a slight chuckle.

"On one condition, Seth." Seth tilted his head to the side.

"And what's that?" Andy picked the shirt up off his shoulder and bounced it in his hand before out stretching his arm to hold it out to Seth. The former champion looked at it suspiciously before reaching out and taking it. He unfolded it and looked at the front before laughing. He pulled his own shirt off and replaced it with the one Andy had given him. It proudly displayed the Bullet Club logo. Luke and Karl moved forward to touch hands with Seth in the Too Sweet hand sign as Andy crossed his arms over the dangling part of his titles strap. He released a sigh and glanced up the ramp as Finn Balor made his way down to the ring.

"Hold on!" Finn called before he entered the ring. "This little get together isn't lost on me, but I'm not about to sit back and watch this little group keep tabs on the WWE Universal Championship when I never lost it."

"Finn, be honest with yourself." Andy spoke as the altercation of the men piqued the crowds interest. "You're just mad that you're not in my place. You're mad that your grab at forming Bullet Club here didn't work. You're mad that when Luke and Karl walked out during our match they didn't put me out and I super kicked you to become the number one contender. Most of all, you're made because I am now the WWE Universal Champion."

"You think you're so much better than me, don't you?" Finn questioned to which Andy pretended to think about it before nodding his head, to Finn's ire. "I'm not going to sit by and be passed over, Mercier. I deserve to be the number one contender." Finn stepped toward the number one contender but was shoved backward. By Seth Rollins. Finn licked his lips and shook his head with a smirk. "What? You're in the Bullet Club for thirty seconds and all of a sudden it's Bullet Club 4 Life? Let me let you in on a secret, Seth. They don't care in the end. Look at me. I created the Bullet Club! And look where I am now with them."

"That's your own fault, Finn." Andy returned with a shake of his head as he stood behind Luke, Karl and Seth. "You see, I left on good terms with Bullet Club. You didn't leave Bullet Club on Bullet Club terms. You left on your terms. And that was your undoing. It doesn't matter who made Bullet Club. You follow the rules set in the beginning or you get kicked to the curb." Finn shook his head and made to reply before the New Day's theme song played.

"Hey, hey!" Big E called as the three men made their way down the ramp. "We're sure everybody is enjoying this episode of Jerry Springer..."

"... Booty Club Edition!" Xavier added to the end with Kofi nodding before he too spoke.

"But it's time for things to move away from this drama, shame on you for this terrible drama, Big E, Xavier, shame them!"

"Shame!"

"What do you punks-" Luke began speaking, but was interrupted by the three men.

"Shame!" Karl stepped forward to speak.

"I'm getting-"

"Shame!"

"Give it up, Luke, Karl." Andy spoke as he limped a little bit around the ring. "These three have been using the same jokes over and over so much that they get stuck like a record machine and just keep skipping on the same lame punch lines."

"What did you say!?" Xavier questioned angrily.

"The magic in him has died!" Kofi called with a sympathetic shake of his head. Andy stepped forward and raised his hand before Big E could continue their speech.

"Let me stop you before you get into unicorns and whatever other crazy things you worship. I don't know what you three are doing out here, but I suggest you leave before we make you extinct like your unicorns."

"That the best you got?" Big E questioned with a shake of his head. "Because that sucked."

"Unicorns joke here, Bullet joke there, yeah, haha." Finn spoke dully. "I don't care about the feud between you lot. I want my shit at the WWE Universal Championship!"

"Woah." Karl spoke as he lifted his hand.

"The only title shot anyone in this ring needs to worry about that they don't have is Karl and I for the tag team championships."

"I detest that!"

"You mean, object that." Kofi corrected Xavier.

"Oh. I detest you!" Luke and Karl looked away, obviously annoyed by the groups antics. Everyone in the ring looked to the ramp as Mick Foley's music began playing and the legend stepped out onto the ramp.

"Wow Andy, it seems every time your in the ring I have to come out here. So here's how this is going to go. At the Royal Rumble, we will have the WWE Tag Team Championships on the line with the New Day versus the Bullet Club. And our WWE Universal Championship match will be Andy Mercier... versus Seth Rollins... versus Finn Balor! And everybody in that ring not involved in that Triple threat match will still participate in the Royal Rumble! Now, please get out of the ring so we can get to tonight's schedule. And have a nice night." Mick smiled brightly down at the men in the ring as they argued with one another as Raw went to commercial.

"Rule number one of Bullet Club." Andy spoke as he, Luke, Karl and Seth walked backstage. "Don't talk about Bullet Club."

"Really? That... that's rule number one?" Seth questioned sarcastically. "A fight Club reference?"

"What's Fight Club?" Andy asked as he paused midstep before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. No, rule number one is don't plant a chair in my back."

"That seems specifically directed at me."

"No. It's directed at you AND the other two."

"You told us to go ahead and do what Finn told us to." Luke interjected, causing Andy to stare at him darkly.

"You might have wanted to mention that meant putting a chair in my back. I repeat, rule number one, do NOT plant a chair in my back."

"Roger that boss man." Karl spoke with a mock salute, drawing a dirty look from Andy.

"Andy!" A voice called out, causing him to glance to the side. He smiled as Bayley approached him. The rest of the Bullet Club clapped him on the shoulder and walked away, lingering nearby their leader. "Hey!"

"Hey, Bayley. What're you up to?" Bayley gave a slight shrug as she tapped her title.

"Not a lot. But you're the champion now! How awesome is that? It's like NXT all over again! Except you have people following you around." She tacked the final sentence on as she watched the three other men play Rock, paper, guns off to the side. No one won. Andy gave a slight shrug in response.

"They're good guys."

"Even Seth?" Andy glanced to the side as Rollins argued the point of the game.

"His personality test is still pending." Bayley gave a short laugh at his statement.

"So, are you excited about next week."

"Really excited." Andy responded as he put a piece of gum in his mouth. "Can't hardly contain myself. What's next week?" Bayley grinned and rolled her eyes.

"We're going to the United Kingdom! Raw and Smackdown are going to be there! Isn't that great?"

"The UK huh? Yeah, Jordan might like that." Bayley frowned at his answer.

"You're not excited?"

"Everyone else might think it's amazing, but the United Kingdom is just home to me. I grew up there. I've seen everything it has to offer. Plus, the plane ride there? With all the other wrestlers?"

"It won't be so bad." Bayley responded with a smile as Andy rubbed his cheek.

"Famous last words."

"Hello everybody, and welcome to Smackdown!" Phillips spoke happily as the fans in the arena cheered.

You're Going Down by Sick Puppies began playing and Jordan stepped out onto the stage as the fans applauded for him. He looked around with a smile and made his way down the ramp. He entered the ring and grabbed a microphone. He nodded his head along with his music until it died away before he spoke. "So, if you weren't watching Roadblock, you know that me being here means that I buried Bray Wyatt alive on Sunday. I'd like to say I feel some kind of remorse that what happened between us had to end like it did. But I really don't. There are some things in this world that have unspoken rules you follow. Unseen lines that you don't cross. For me, touching one of my loved ones is one of those. The Wyatt family not only pursued some insane idea that Brianna Kelly was Sister Abigail, but they put their hands on Becky. That was their major downfall.

"Because, where is the Wyatt family now? Trying to regroup? Trying to get back on track? For all I know, the Wyatt family is still at the stadium trying to dig Bray up. I'm done with the Wyatt family. It's time for me to move on, and refocus. Early this year, I was the United States Champion. Now, the Royal Rumble is just a few weeks away. And I'm going to stake my claim. I am going into the Royal Rumble, and I'm coming out the victor. Then, I'm going on to my very first Wrestlemania to claim one of the top prizes in this entire industry."

"Confident words from Jordan there." Phillips commented.

"Yeah, but he definitely has the skills to back it up." Jerry responded.

Brianna gave Jordan a brief wave as they passed one another, her family close behind her. Jordan nodded to her and maneuvered through the halls until he found Becky. He smiled at her as she walked toward him wearing the same tee shirt he had worn at Roadblock. "Hey sweetheart." Jordan spoke as Becky waved to him.

"Saw your speech. So you're going for the top title now are you?" Jordan nodded as he grabbed a water bottle from a nearby catering table and drank from it.

"I've been the United States Champion, and Andy's already claimed Raws main title, so I need to step my game up." Becky laughed at him.

"If you win the Royal Rumble, you would get to choose if you wanted to challenge for the WWE Heavyweight Championship or the WWE Universal Championship. You could always go up against Andy for his." Jordan seemed to think about this as he drank from his water bottle before he shook his head.

"No. Smackdown is better than Raw, and I'm not a big fan of the red strap. Plus, you'd still be on Smackdown." Becky nodded with understanding.

"Yeah. And you'd be stuck there with Andy and Kofi." Jordan groaned at the words.

"Don't bring them up. Kofi is always calling about Andy. Hey Jordan, you aren't part of the Booty Club are you? Hey Jordan, you want to help the New Day out?" Jordan shook his head as he quit mimicking Kofi's voice. "I'm tired of it. I don't want to be stuck between them. It's not worth it." Becky rubbed Jordan's shoulder.

"How are you going to deal with them on the plane ride to the United Kingdom?" Jordan thought about her words. Horror washed over his features as he realized he would be on a plane with all of the Raw and Smackdown superstars. Including the members of the New Day and Bullet Club. Becky did her best not to laugh at him.

Brianna walked to the gorilla position and waited for her music to cue as she listened to the raucous crowd. Meteor filtered through the speakers and Brianna took a deep breath and smiled before stepping through the curtains. She paused on the ramp and unstrapped her title from around her waist before lifting it high in the air. She flashed the Shaka hand sign and walked down the ramp. She waved to the fans before she entered the ring. "I hope," Brianna spoke after a pause, "That I've finally proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that nobody is just destined for greatness. You earn it through hard work and dedication!"

The fans cheered at Brianna's words and she took a deep breath. "That being said, there is one woman on the roster I have yet to beat. In fact... she beat me. Twice, with the WWE Women's Championship on the line." Brianna nodded her head as the fans roared. "That's right. I'm talking about Becky Lynch. I don't think there is anyone that can push me to the limits she has. No-" Brianna stopped talking as The Future by CFO$ started playing. The Smackdown Women's Champion glanced up the ramp as Asuka walked onto the stage.

"That's... That's Asuka from NXT!" Phillips cried on commentary. "What's she doing here on Smackdown!?" Asuka stared down to the ring at Brianna and slowly smiled. "You don't think she's be signed to Smackdown do you!?"

"I don't know, but she's definitely staring the women's champion down!" Jerry returned as Smackdown faded to commercial.

Backstage, Brianna shook her head as she walked. She was starting to understand why Andy hated being interrupted. She stopped and looked around, realizing that her family wasn't where they had been. And as she looked harder, she realized that they were in completely separate areas of the backstage. Max Bergman and Kono Kalakaua-Noshimuri were off to the side with the Lucha Dragons wildly throwing their hands in the air. "Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!" Brianna laughed as they mimicked the two luchadors.

Lou Grover and Jerry Ortega were, suspiciously, talking to Fandango and Tyler Breeze. "So, you're partners?"

"Yes! Yes!" Fandango called, slightly irate. "For the hundredth time yes!"

"Why?"

"It's obvious!" Tyler spoke with a smirk. "The two best wrestlers teaming together to make an unstoppable team."

"Two best wrestlers?" Lou asked as he looked at Jerry.

"Unstoppable... team?" Jerry added.

"Obviously!"

"Yeah. Okay."

"Keep telling yourselves that." Brianna glanced away. Her mother, Alyssa Gage-Kelly, was with the other female wrestlers who were fawning over her baby sister, Melanie.

"She's so cute!"

"Aw, she's smiling!"

"What happened to Brianna?" Brianna rolled her eyes at Becky as the woman mischievously glanced to her.

"Can... I have my daughter back?"

Chin Ho Kelly was talking with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan. "You have a very talented wrestler in her."

"Yes sir." Shane spoke with a nod and a smile as he looked up from his phone. "That's why she's the Smackdown Women's Champion."

"Probably the best female wrestler ever." Chin spoke, causing Brianna to look around embarrassed. Daniel smiled at him.

"I say the same about Brie." Chin stared at Daniel closely for a moment.

"Are you comparing Brianna to Brie Bella?"

"Yes."

"No!" Daniel to take a step back in shock before his head shot forward.

"Yes!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"NO!" Brianna placed a hand over her lower face to keep from laughing and looked away. Danny Williams was talking with Dean Ambrose. She felt a chill run through her body.

"Are you crazy?"

"No." Dean replied to the man with a certain twitch about him.

"Do you realize you're crazy?"

"No."

"So you ARE crazy!" Danny exclaimed as if trying to get Dean come to a life changing decision.

"I'm not crazy!"

"They call you the Lunatic Fringe, whatever that is."

"Want to find out why?"

"Okay, repeat after me." Brianna glanced to the side as she heard a familiar voice, finding that the Bullet Club had snuck into the Smackdown arena again and were talking to Steve McGarrett. "Bullet Club. 4-4-4 4 Life."

"I don't get why you're stuttering, you didn't stutter when I met you the first time. You just stood around awkwardly." Steve replied to Andy, causing the Universal Champion to rub a hand over his face.

"You're missing the point."

"What point?"

"The Bullet Club!"

"Yeah, I don't really get it. Do you collect bullets?" Andy shook his head as he chewed heavily on gum.

"Okay, just throw all that out." Luke Gallows spoke up. "And repeat after me. That's just... Too Sweet!"

"What's Too Sweet?" Steve questioned, causing the four members of the Bullet Club to give a collective groan.

"You ever seen the NWO?" Karl asked suddenly.

"Of course. NWO 4-4-4 4 Life!"

"There you go!" Andy called excitedly. "Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!"

"You're stuttering again."

"I give up!" Brianna held her breath to keep from laughing and raised her hand.

"Hey Andy!" The Bullet Club members looked her way, but before he could speak, Shane McMahon called out.

"Hey! What are you four doing here!?"

"We aren't here! Bullet Club! Bail!" Brianna watched as the four men scrambled down the hall with Shane close behind them. Jordan stepped around the corner, watching in shock as the men barreled past him, before subsequently becoming the wall Shane ran into. "Thanks Jordan! You're the best mate!"

XXX

Wrap. I decided to focus a little bit on the comical aspect of the characters as we hid to the Royal Rumble. So next time, be on the lookout for the Plane Ride to the United Kingdom!


	32. Chapter 32

Blitzkrieg 1. 11

Warning, language in this chapter.

"What do you mean you don't know who Samuel Jackson is?" Seth Rollins questioned as he and Andy made their way down the aisle of their airplane.

"I don't watch movies. Is he the Puerto Rican one?" Seth disbelievingly shook his head. He and Andy went their separate ways and took their seat. Andy laid his head back as the pilot spoke over the intercom.

"You got a pretty good seat." A voice next to him stated and Andy groaned as his head rolled to the side. Heath Slater sat next to him, holding his Smackdown Tag Team title.

"Are you kidding me? Out of everyone, Hunter stuck me next to- How did you sneak that on the plane?" Heath glanced to him as he rubbed his title.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what, it doesn't even matter." Andy shook his head and popped a piece of gum in his mouth as he felt someone drop into the seat on the other side of him.

"Hey Booty Club." Andy glanced over to see Xavier Woods sitting next to him, playing Pokémon Go on his phone.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm on the wrong plane." Andy spoke as he stood up, moving past the man. "I didn't know this was the plane for comedians who want to be wrestlers. I'll catch the next flight to the UK, thanks."

"Andy!" The wrestler turned his head defiantly to face Hunter. "This is your plane buddy." Andy breathed heavily through his nose before darting to the side where Jordan sat next to Bayley.

"Jordan, switch places with me." Jordan glanced to him.

"What? No."

"Please, I'll do anything mate! You want money? I can give you money! You want my title? Take it! Don't make me sit back there!" Jordan glanced over his shoulder as Andy hissed through his teeth before laughing.

"Oh, you'll be fine mate." Andy shot him a dirty look before he was forced to return to his seat for take off. Thirty minutes into the flight, Heath had already fallen asleep and Andy and Xavier were fighting over an arm rest.

"Get your elbow out of my way, I'm trying to catch a Pikachu!"

"The bloody hell I will, I was here first you Cheeah Pet!"

"Oh, I was here first. Real mature."

"Coming from the bloke who worships unicorns!"

"Excuse me sirs, is everything okay?" One of the attendants asked, prompting the two wrestlers to force smiles.

"Perfectly fine. Love your WiFi."

"Just enjoying the flight with my... buddy..." The blonde haired woman smiled at them and walked away.

"I hope you choke on your lies." Xavier spat at Andy, causing him to stare darkly at him.

"I hope you lose your Pikachu." Xavier placed his hand on his chest and took a loud breath.

"You take that back!" Suddenly, the plane shook violently as it hit turbulence. Heath shot awake and jumped into Andy's side, slamming his title in his face.

"We're going to die!"

"Get off me you muppet!" Andy screamed as he forced Slater forward, jerking a sleeping Sheamus awake.

"What the Hell's going on back there, fella!? You want me to knock your teeth out!?"

"I dare you to try!" Andy shot back as Sheamus leaned over the back of his seat. "I'm looking for a reason to throw somebody off this plane!"

"What's going on back there!?" Hunter cried from the front of the plane.

"I'm changing seats!" Heath called back as he walked down the aisle shaking his head. "Guy's too violent for me. Kofi! Change me seats!"

"You have got to be kidding me." Andy grit his teeth, tearing his gum to pieces as he found himself wedged between Kofi and Xavier who were pushing on him from both sides. "Hey." Andy spoke in a sickly sweet tone. "You bloke's mind, you know, getting off of me!?"

"Nah, you're fine." Kofi spoke as he held up a box. "Hey, check it out, I brought some Booty O's for you!"

"Quit moving man!" Xavier complained. "You've made me lose like ten Pokémon!"

"I'm so sorry for you." Andy spoke in a deadpanned voice as he stood up, smacking Kofi's box into Sheamus head. Sheamus jerked to life and began reaching over the seat for Kofi.

"Hey! Chill! It was him!" Kofi defended as Andy made his way to the bathroom.

"Don't lie to me fella! I know you three are the only ones that carry that crap around!" The door shut behind Andy and there was silence. Except the suspicious laughter of Luke and Karl.

"Wait for it." Luke was barely able to speak to Seth Rollins through his laughter. Then, there was an inhuman screech. The door to the bathroom slammed open and everyone watched as Andy slammed into the snack holster.

"There's a snake!" He screamed as he barreled down the aisle, falling over various wrestlers. "There's a snake on the plane! We're all going to die!"

"We told you!" Karl roared with laughter as Seth began laughing.

"He's Deathly scared of snakes!" Luke added as Jordan appeared from the bathroom with a fake snake in his hand.

"It's rubber, mate." Jordan called with a disappointed shake of his head as he made his way back to his seat. Andy turned to his Bullet Club teammates with a dirty look.

"It was his idea." Karl spoke as he pointed to Luke who nodded.

"It's true. It was me."

"Didn't they check any of you people!?" Andy questioned as he looked around. "Cesaro looks like a Hitman, Dana's wearing enough make up to fuel a C4 right now, Kofi has a duffel bag of those stupid boxes-"

"Booty O's!" Big E called, though Andy continued as if he hadn't.

"-My own teammates have bloody snakes, Sin Cara and Kalisto wore their masks through security, hell Ambrose probably has a shank!"

"Don't make me bring out my sledgehammer!" Hunter called from the front as Andy made his way back to his seat.

"They probably let you on with it!" Andy called back. There was a moment of silence before Shane leaned over his sister to look at Hunter.

"They didn't let you on with that did they?" Hunter simply nodded with a proud grin.

"Oh yeah." Andy stared darkly ahead as the New Day members on either side of him talked back and forth about nothing.

"And the way he?"

"Oh yeah! And the look she gave him?"

"Bloody hell."

"Bloody hell!" Enzo Amore called out, slightly buzzed from catering. He leaned back in his seat and looked at Andy. "That's your name! Bloody Hell! How you doing?" Andy opted to ignore him and after a few minutes of prying, Enzo returned to annoying Sheamus.

Brianna bobbed her head along to music, silently singing the words when her arm accidently bumped Charlotte's. "Could you not?" The blonde questioned as she ripped an ear bud out of Brianna's ear.

"Could you not be so rude?" Sasha asked from the other side of Brianna.

"Oh, you want to go Boss?"

"Please! You couldn't even take Bayley!" Sasha shot back.

"Come on guys, let's not fight on the plane." Brianna spoke as she put her hands in front of her defensively.

"Stay out of this Brianna!" Both women shouted at the same time before Charlotte continued. "I guess since you're Smackdown Women's Champion you own the plane, right?"

"Wow, look at you, talking like you're the boss!" Sasha spoke sarcastically. Brianna looked to Jordan for help, but he was looking away.

"Do you think Andy's okay?" Bayley questioned with a worried tone.

"Bloke's fine." Jordan replied as he played with a napkin. "What do you think Becky's doing?"

"Well if you look over your shoulder," Bayley returned happily, "She's... listening to Big E sing music." Jordan glanced back.

"I'm a barbie girl! In a barbie world!" Becky caught Jordan's glance from her position pressed up against the side of the plane. She smiled and waved. Jordan returned it before falling back in his seat.

"I miss her."

"What do you think Andy's doing?"

"Let's see." The two glanced over their shoulders to where Andy sat with his head laid back and his mouth open as he slept. Xavier was still head deep in his phone and Kofi was writing on a piece of paper as if he were having a stroke of genius. Luke and Karl stood behind Andy's seat, to the irritation of Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler. The rubber snakes touched Andy and Jordan watched as he stirred. When he didn't wake up, they touched him again. He became still. His eyes shot open. There was silence. Then, there was hell.

"Oh my god, snakes!" Andy cried, waking anybody that had been sleeping. "We're going to die! Snakes are going to eat us and we're all going to die in snake stomach on a plane!"

"They're fake!" Jordan called as Andy finally spotted Luke and Karl, who were now laughing.

"Bloody Hell!"

"How you doing Bloody hell!?"

"Enough is enough! I have had it with these mother fucking snakes on this mother fucking plane!"

"You do know who Sam L Jackson is!" Seth called as he stood up out of his seat.

"Who is that? Is that that wanker you were talking about before we got on?" Andy questioned, obviously irritated as he shoved his other two teammates away.

"Really? You're going to say you've never seen snakes on a plane!?"

"Of course I've seen snakes on a plane, Luke and Karl keep making them pop up everywhere!" Andy returned heatedly.

"Give it up. He doesn't know he's making movie references." Karl spoke as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"He doesn't watch movies." Luke added.

"Big E!" Kofi called. "I can't take this guy no more! Either change places with him or with me!"

"I got you! New Day reuniting!" Andy shoved past Big E and quickly took his new seat next to Becky.

"True Shooter." Becky spoke with a nod.

"Lass kicker." Andy returned as he turned his head to Jordan. "I'm going to tell you everything embarrassing I know about Jordan."

"You bloody wanker!" Jordan shot.

"Did you know that Jordan-"

"Hey Jordan, you need New Day to take care of the Booty Club?"

"Give it up Kofi, I'm not joining the New Day."

"Yeah, he's with the Bullet Club!"

"Andy, not helping!"

"Yeah Andy you shut up!"

"You want to come up here and make me Xavier!?"

"You want to come back back here and make me come up there?!"

"Yes!" Andy replied as he made to stand up.

"I'm going to get my sledgehammer!" Hunter called as Shane frantically looked over his seat.

"I don't think he's kidding guys!" Andy sat back down and crossed his arms over his chest. He glanced to Becky who was looking out of the window, then the person next to him. Finn Balor.

"So Heath Slater snuck his title on the plane. Where's yours Finn? Oh wait, you don't have one." Finn shot Andy a dirty look.

"Not yet. But I'm going to at the Royal Rumble."

"Ouch. Nice come back." Andy returned with an eye role.

"You think you're so protected by the Bullet Club don't you?"

"I haven't been proved wrong yet."

In the front of the plane, Hunter sat with a smile as he listened to a motivational tape. "You. Are the game. You. Make the rules." Behind him, Andy shot out of his seat with Finn holding him in a choke hold. Rhyno shot out of the seat in front of them and grabbed them, all three of them going to the ground. Hunter sat blissfully unaware as various superstars attempted to break them up.

Luke threw a water bottle across the plane that hit Big E square in the face. Big E shook his head and looked shocked before throwing a box of Booty O's in retaliation. The cereal scattered everywhere before Andy shoved Finn away where he was tripped by Seth Rollins. Heath Slater stumbled as he tried to get away from the wrestlers, his arm catching Triple H's earbud.

"You. Are the game. So. Move on- and switch places with me Jordan!" Andy's voice called.

"Why don't you watch what you're doing with that cereal Fella!"

"How you doing Fella!?"

"You keep costing me Pokémon!"

"We all knew where this was going!" Hunter heard Dean Ambrose above the others. There was the sound of a fire extinguisher and Hunter was afraid to turn around.

"Are you insane!?"

"That's it! I'm getting sledgy!" Hunter called as he stood up and reached overhead. Shane looked around in horror.

"He really has it!"

"How!?" Andy cried.

"Eh, I got a shank." Dean spoke.

"I knew it!"

Later, Andy rode in peaceful silence. He was sure they were getting close. "Psst." Andy tried to ignore it. "Pssst." He felt something touch his face.

"I'm not falling for the snakes again."

"It's not a snake." Becky spoke. "I was trying to let you know there's a spider dangling over your head." Jordan quickly found himself being shoved out of his seat.

"You know I was thinking about how you wanted to switch seats." Andy spoke as he almost got Jordan up.

"I never said that."

"And I was thinking of how big a shame it was that you and Becky were separated and I'm ready to switch now."

Jordan rolled his eyes. "I appreciate it Andy." He spoke half truthfully and half sarcastically before moving to sit with his girlfriend. Andy plopped down and placed a new piece of gum in his mouth. Bayley laughed as she looked him over. His hair was messy and disheveled. His clothes were ruffled and he had claw marks on his face. And he was still slightly covered from the first extinguisher.

"How's it going?" Bayley asked.

"Good. It's good. It's going really good." Andy replied quickly.

As the plane came close to landing, Hunter looked over his shoulder suspiciously. It was quiet. Jordan and Becky were sleeping with Becky's head on his shoulder and Jordan's head on her head. Andy and Bayley mimicked this. Brianna was still caught in a fight between Charlotte and Sasha. Seth, Luke and Karl were laughing about something, and Hunter overheard the words itching powder. He could see Kofi beginning to shift uncomfortably. He groaned and leaned back in his chair as Stephanie rubbed his shoulder.

"It's just a normal WWE plane ride honey."

"Hello and welcome to Monday Night Raw!" Michael Cole called as the crowd cheered wildly. "And if you're wondering about the cars setting on stage, we're broadcasting live from the United Kingdom!"

"That's right, Cole! And if I'm not mistaken, we'll be hearing from one of the UK'S own, Andy Mercier!" There was a pause after these words before the crowd roared happily.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began playing and the four members of the Bullet Club stepped on stage. The crowd grew even louder as the WWE Universal Champion stood in front of the other three. He nodded forward with his head and the small group headed down the ramp before entering the ring. Karl retrieved microphones from an official before passing them out amongst his teammates.

Andy looked around with a nod as he chewed his gum before speaking. "I'm home." The crowd cheered wildly at these words and Andy nodded again. "After a long plane ride from America, I'm back home. Everything's about the same as I left it too. I'm okay with that, because as I was walking up the road, I was ten years old again, walking with my mom. It's been a long ride since I was a resident here in the UK. Despite some ribbing from friends here and there, I am the Universal Champion. And I am from right here in the United Kingdom!" The crowd cheered again as Luke stepped forward.

"And since this is Andy's home, we want to take... a little survey. Who's here to see Finn the Demon King Balor?" There was a good amount of cheers and Luke nodded his head. "Okay, okay. Who's here to see the Bulgarian Brute, Rusev?" He asked, referencing the man that had been seen very little since he was traded for the Miz on Smackdown. The crowd mostly booed. "That's about right. How about... Roman Reigns?" The entire group chuckled among themselves as the crowd booed harder. "Then, how many of you are here to see the... Bullet Club!?"

The crowd shook the arena with their roars and Karl stepped forward. "That's what we figured. That... wait, no, let's let Seth have this one. Seth?" The former Universal Champion nodded.

"That's just... Too Sweet!" Seth laughed as Andy nodded and began to speak again. This stopped when the New Day walked down the ramp.

"We hate to interrupt this twenty year old promo, but the New Day is here to... well bring you back to the present!" Xavier spoke as he and his partners entered the ring.

"Do you mind?" Karl questioned angrily. "We're kind of in the middle of something."

"Yeah, yeah." Kofi spoke with a dismissive wave of his hand. "That's all great, but you see, we have a major problem with you. Worse than ever before." Andy shook his head with a sigh.

"Yeah? And what's that, muppet?" Kofi shot him a dark look as Big E went to speak.

"Look, don't use words you think we don't know to insult us. Next, you made us waste two boxes of Booty O's on the plane ride here!"

"Not one!" Xavier spoke as Luke tried to talk. "But TWO! That's like a federal offence!"

"What is it with you three?" Seth questioned. "You come out here week after week acting like you're the funniest people around, but you're not even the funniest ones in this ring."

"That's right." Kofi spoke as he placed his hand over his chest in exaggeration. "We're a washed up act."

"But we're not any worse than a group that use the same promos as a group from twenty years ago." Xavier nodded agreeingly with Big E's words.

"Which stopped being cool after the first year." Before the Bullet Club could retort, Kevin Owens theme played and the wrestler stepped out onto the stage. The crowd was torn between cheering him and booing him.

"I'm sorry to break up this argument against the NWO and the Nation of Domination." Owens shook his head and ran a hand over his face. "My bad, I mean NWO with bullets and the embarrassing cousins of the Nation, but I'm a little tired of sitting in the back and hearing you all fight back and forth like toddlers."

"Why are you out here, Owens?" Andy questioned as he moved forward to lean on the top ropes. "I mean, haven't I knocked you around enough already. Do I need to go find Jordan and bring him out?" Owens laughed at these words.

"That's real funny snake boy." Kevin responded with a shake of his head. "No, you see, I'm out here because I'm tired of people like you. It's the same thing I've been saying since you were on NXT. You're not a real fighter. And you're a phony champion."

"Everyone's like a broken record." Andy spoke as he looked at Seth. "Okay, Kevin, we'll all bite. What're you going to do to threaten Bullet Club and New Day before we get our hands on you?" Kevin smirked at the words.

"It's not just me. I'm sick of everybody in that ring, but I know I can't go to war alone. So I have a few guys backing me up. Andy, you remember Samoa Joe."

"Oh, KO Joe is back together? Quick, everybody, get out of the ring!"

"I knew we should've hired that grizzly bear body guard." Kofi spoke as his teammates laughed.

"That was probably Owens." Karl remarked, causing all seven men in the ring to begin laughing together.

"Laugh all you want. There's a third member that makes up... Fight Club."

"Fight Club, there it is again. What are you people talking about?" Andy questioned Seth who put his hands up defensively and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm glad so many of you have such a great sense of humor." Kevin spoke dryly. "Andy, as I'm sure you are blissfully unaware of this fact, Rule Number Eight of Fight Club, if it's your first night in fight Club, you must fight. Now, the third member isn't here on Raw tonight, but when you see him, he'll be ready to fight and... You'll know him Andy. I'll give you a hint. He's a Paul Heyman guy, and unlike you, he's a true fighter." Andy scrunched his eyebrows together at the man's words.

"You don't think it's Brock do you?" Seth asked with some worry as Andy gave a half shrug.

"I have no idea."

Andy sat backstage, rapidly tapping a pencil. Had Owens really meant that he had Brock Lesnar on his side? It didn't seem likely. There was no reason Brock would take sides with anybody, let alone Owens and Joe. But who else was a 'Paul Heyman' guy. It seemed suspicious that he wasn't there when Owens announced his 'Fight Club'. It could be a ruse. Then again, Joe wasn't on Raw either.

"You're not a Paul Heyman guy are you?" Andy asked as he looked to the left. He had dragged Jordan along to the show and the taller man sat watching the television. He glanced to Andy with a grimace.

"I'm not siding with the Bullet Club or the New Day. Why in the bloody hell would I side with Owens and Joe?"

"Good point." Andy spoke with a nod. The door to the locker room opened and an official stuck his head in.

"Andy, you're on soon." Andy nodded in response as he stood and spit his gum in a trash can. He had the opportunity to fight Braun Strowman and finally pick up the victory that had been taken from him. The big man was already in the ring waiting on him when One for the Money began playing. Andy walked onto the ramp wearing his black gear and a Bullet Club tee shirt. He paused at the beginning of the ramp and pointed to the WWE Universal Championship strapped around his waist. He walked halfway down the ramp before lifting his arms to "Bullet!". He quickly turned and did so again to "Club!". He jumped onto the barricade that separated him from the crowd, unstrapping his belt and holding it high as they grabbed at him. "Bullet Club 4 Life!" He called before jumping back to the ramp. He walked down to the ring and jumped on the apron. He climbed the turnbuckle and did his Hangman's Draw before dropping into the ring. He showed his title to Braun before handing it off to someone outside the ring. As he went to his corner, the referee outstretched his arms both ways before calling for the bell.

Andy hopped in place as Braun stared across the ring at him. The large man began moving forward and Andy stepped forward. Braun struck out at Andy, but the champion dodged down under it. Andy kicked him in the leg before quickly sliding to the side and kicking the back of his leg. Braun spun and swung wildly with a punch Andy slid away from. A sharp kick to the side of Braun's head caused the big man to shake his head. Braun's body slammed into Andy and Andy dropped to the mat. Braun dropped down with an elbow drop that Andy avoided by rolling away. Andy jumped to his feet and drop kicked Braun. The big man stumbled back before rushing forward with a clothesline. Andy slammed into the mat and shook his head after it bounced off the canvas. Andy was dragged to his feet by his shoulders and launched across the ring. Andy slid across the mat. Braun moved forward quickly and dropped onto him with an elbow drop. Andy rolled to his feet holding his chest. He turned around to find Braun's hand wrapped around his throat. Braun lifted him high in the air for a chokeslam.

Andy struck out with his knee, slamming it into Braun's face. Andy's body fell away to his feet as Braun stumbled. Andy rushed to the turnbuckle and jumped onto the second turnbuckle before launching himself through the air with a missile dropkick. Braun stumbled back and Andy springboarded off the ropes with a high knee. Braun fell to one knee. Andy kicked him in the side of the head twice before catching him with a Frankensteiner Driver. Andy bounced off the ropes as Braun's body shot upright. He came back for a Kinshasa, but was caught with a pop up Powerbomb. Kevin Owens stared down at Andy as the referee called for a disqualification and the crowd booed him fiercly. Owens crouched down and motioned for Andy to get up. Owens quickly hit the mat and rolled out of the ring as Jordan came barreling down the ramp and slid in. The crowd roared happily at the arrival of another wrestler from the United Kingdom as Owens walked around the side of the ring with a shake of his head. "Not tonight." Owens called to Jordan from the ramp as the dark skinned man stared at him while checking on Andy. "Not tonight." Owens spoke again as Raw faded from the air.

"Welcome to Smackdown Live! Just like Raw last night, we're emanating live from the United Kingdom!" Phillips called before Meteor began playing. "And we'll be starting off with some Women's Division here tonight!" Brianna looked around at the top of the stage before lifting her title with a smile. She walked down the ramp and entered the ring before waving the Shaka sign to the fans. Her music bled away, and Nikki Bella made her way down to the ring. The two women stared across the ring at each other and Nikki motioned around her waist before the bell rang.

Brianna and Nikki quickly made their way to the center of the ring and circled each other. They locked up, and Nikki gained the upper hand by grabbing her opponent by the back of the head and slamming her to the mat. Nikki quickly kicked Brianna in the stomach. Brianna rolled to her feet and was hit with a running elbow. She got back up and Nikki rushed her again, this time with a forearm. Brianna hit the mat and Nikki pulled her to her feet before catching her with a snap mare knee attack. Brianna rolled to her feet and dodged another running elbow. Nikki turned around into a spinning heel kick that sent her to the mat. Brianna dropped a knee down on her opponent's face before rolling to her feet. She turned as Nikki stood and rushed at her. Brianna ducked under her before jerking her around by her arm and driving her into the mat with a DDT. Nikki held her face in pain as Brianna reached down and dragged her to her feet. Nikki broke her hold and slapped the Women's Champion before catching her in a one handed thesz press that she followed up with multiple mat slams. Brianna stared up at the ceiling before Nikki pulled her up.

The veteran female wrestler yelled at Brianna before slapping her in the face. Brianna stumbled to the side before was kicked in the gut. She doubled over and Nikki dragged her forward for a DDT. Brianna broke the hold on her and jerked Nikki forward by her hair before delivering a spinning heel kick. She gave the crowd her signature I didn't do anything wrong look as the referee chastised her. Brianna picked Nikki up and positioned her for a lifting single underhook DDT, but Nikki spun out of it and kicked her in the gut before hitting her with a sitout face buster. "Bella Buster!" Phillips called.

"And it might be lights out for Brianna here." Jerry spoke as Nikki went for a cover. Brianna got her arm up at two, and Nikki argued with the referee before picking the champion up. Nikki set her up for a Rack Attack. Brianna slid off of her shoulders and dragged the Bella into a Bridging Muta Lock.

"Brianna has it locked in! The Melanie Rose! And Nikki's tapping!" Brianna pushed Nikki away and stood to her feet as Meteor played again.

"Nikki was close to getting one over on the champion though. Brianna better watch out, she has some stiff competition coming her way now." Brianna held her title up with a smile before helping Nikki to her feet. The two women shook hands and exchanged a few words. Then, Meteor bled away into The Future as Asuka walked out to the top of the ramp. The two women in the ring watched as she pointed down to the ring, at Brianna. Then, she smiled as Smackdown went to commercial.

"Welcome back to Smackdown!" Jerry spoke as the show moved on. "We started the night off with Brianna Kelly facing Nikki Bella. Now, we're going to have two superstars vying for their place in the Royal Rumble. Jordan Sterling and Intercontinental Champion, The Miz." Immediately after his words, I Came to Play by Downstait played and the Miz made his way down to the ring along with Maryse. He handed his title to her and helped her out of the ring before You're Going Down took control of the arenas speakers.

Jordan walked out into darkness. When the lights rose, he stared down intently at The Miz. He came to one knee with a cry of "One man enters and one man leaves!" As he glanced to the Wrestlemania sign hanging behind the ring and nodded before he made his way down the ramp. He stopped and looked at the camera before he jumped onto the apron. He ran the ropes and stopped at the last turnbuckle, tapping the top of it before throwing his shirt to the fans and getting in the ring. Jordan rolled his shoulder as the referee looked back and forth between them before calling for the bell. Jordan and Miz broke forward and began circling each other. "This ought to be interesting." Jerry stated as they locked up.

"Yeah, Miz favors a style of protecting his body from harm and Jordan, well he just favors a style that hurts you." Miz placed his hand on his opponents face and shoved him away. A smirk overtook Jordan's mouth and he chuckled before delivering a harsh blow to the Miz's abdomen. The Intercontinental Champion doubled over and Jordan flipped him to the mat before dropping his knees down onto his chest. Miz rolled away and stood to his feet. Jordan caught him with an elbow to the face, causing the Miz to stumble along the ropes. Jordan made to grab him again, but the Miz caught his legs and caused Jordan's face to smash into the turnbuckles. Miz stomped on Jordan's back and punched away at his head before the referee forced him to break away. Jordan turned over, sitting in the corner holding the back of his head before Miz hit him with a knee to the face. Jordan's head bounced off the turnbuckle and he rolled out of the corner. Miz bounced off the ropes and dropped onto Jordan with an elbow drop.

Jordan grabbed his chest and the Miz looked around with a devious smirk before he went for another elbow drop.

Jordan rolled away and jumped to his feet. He grabbed Miz by the back of his head as he recovered and rammed his knees into his face multiple times before shoving him to the side. Jordan caught Miz with a jab as Maryse yelled from ringside in concern. Miz stumbled backward and Jordan crashed into him with a spear. "Jordan hits the M16!" Jordan popped up with a roar before his attention was diverted. Kevin Owens jumped a barricade and lurked at ringside. Jordan rushed to the rope and made Owens step back away from the apron. Owens pointed at Jordan and yelled before the Bullet Club jumped the barricade after him and attacked him. Jordan watched as the four men laid waste to Kevin. Suddenly, Jordan felt himself pulled back and his arms jerked up as Miz set up him for the Skull Crushing Finale. Jordan jerked free and threw Miz against the ropes. When Miz came back, Jordan caught him with a high knee.

"Miz going for the Skull Crushing Finale, but got hit with a Vicious Sterling Special!" You're Going Down played as Jordan stood to his feet. Andy and the Bullet Club entered the ring, holding his arms high. Jordan looked around in confusion.

"Congratulations Jordan!" He heard a familiar voice as the New Day entered the ring. "We were on our way out here to help you, but the Booty Club decided to do it for us the dirty way." Jordan felt a headache roaring to life in his head as New Day and Bullet Club faced off with one another.

"It seems that the New Day are waiting around every corner trying to show up and soak in all the spotlight wherever Bullet Club goes." Andy spoke as he jerked the microphone away from Kofi. Kofi looked around in mock shock before Xavier jerked the microphone back.

"Or, and here's a thought, the Bullet Club is an infestation that we're hunting down to exterminate!" Seth knocked the microphone out of Xavier's hand and to the mat. The seven men stood head to head as Jordan shoved between them in an attempt to keep peace.

"That's enough!" Shane McMahon's voice echoed through the arena as he walked out on stage. "You know, I am sick and tired of Raw invading my show. Especially the Bullet Club. Out of all the people down there, there are only three who should be here. The Miz, Jordan and Kevin Owens." Jordan leaned on the top ropes at these words.

"What!?"

"That's right. Kevin Owens was invited to Smackdown for the Smackdown debut of his fellow... 'Fight Club' member. Albeit, he wasn't supposed to interfere in any matches. Nevertheless, if you're on my show, one of you is going to fight. Now, Kofi and Big E will be defending the Tag Team titles against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson at the Royal Rumble if I'm not mistaken. Meanwhile, Andy and Seth will be in the WWE Universal Championship match. Now, while I don't really care if any of you getting hurt before then, I don't want Stephanie breathing down my back for 'ruining her dominance'. So, Xavier, even though you are a tag team champion through the Freebird rule, you won't be actively participating in a title match at Royal Rumble.

"So, since you're the odd man out, everyone else get out of my ring. No one will be at ringside for this match. You'll all be right here on this stage... with me. If you try to interfere, there will be serious consequences." Shane watched as New Day and Bullet Club reluctantly left the ring, with Jordan, Miz and Owens bringing up the rear. "Now without further ado, Paul Heyman."

The crowd booed loudly as Paul Heyman walked onto the stage with his signature smug smile. "Ladies and gentlemen," He spoke to louder boos. "I am Paul Heyman, the advocate for Brock Lesnar. The same man who not only beat the streak, but decimated Randy Orton!" Paul laughed as the crowds booing reached an all time high. "Now, I give you my newest Client, the newest addition to the Smackdown roster!" The group of men reached the top of the ramp with Miz leaving to the locker room. Jordan stood between New Day and Bullet Club to keep peace while Owens stood away from the all. Everyone waited patiently as Xavier bounced in the ring.

Suddenly, Over and Under by Egypt Central began playing as a cage appeared on the Titantron and Minitron and the lights dimmed. Andy narrowed his eyes as the words 'Unleash the Knight' began flashing on top of the cage. A man around the height of 6'2" inches walked onto the stage with a spotlight shining down on him. He wore white tights with flame like X's coming from the top of the tights to the top of his thighs. The X's were black and outlined in red. There were two more X's starting under the knees and going up just above the mid thigh. They were also black and outlined in red. The design wss also printed on a pair of white knee pads that blended into his tights. He had the design of a stylized skulls shattered like a mirror printed in blue between the two X's on the outer thighs. He had black boots. Over the boots he wore kickpads. They were half black and half white with the black stretching across the white in two places. The black was outlined in red. In the middle of the kickpads near the top there was a skull formed with the black and white formed in a Yin yang style and outlined in red. The skull had two red eyes. Hayabusa was written down the sides and it had a Kanji on the top of the foot. He wore black Venum MMA contact glove wraps and a "Signature" black and orange Tiger Muay Thai sleeveless hoodie.

He stood with his head down so no one could see his face. Then, he slowly raised his head and removed the hood. Andy's eyes widened as he took in the man's Appearance. He had a medium between light and dark brown hair. It was short on the sides and in the back. He had more on top that he either he had spikes locks. He had almond shaped amber eyes. He had a scar on the right side of his mouth going through his top and bottom lip and a scar through his left eyebrow. Andy's eyes widened as the man looked at him and smirked while Paul Heyman spoke again. "Ladies and gentlemen, my client from Phoenix Arizona, Jacen Knight!" Jacen did a quick elbow strike and an uppercut to an imaginary opponent before he made his way down the ramp. He paused at the end of the ramp and looked around the arena as the fans cheered. He jumped onto the apron and looked out at the crowd before shaking his head. He jumped over the top rope into the ring and lifted his arms with his fingers extended before lowering them. He cocked his right arm like a gun before pointing his index finger at Xavier. Over and Under died as the referee looked back and forth between the men. Then, he called for the bell.

Xavier and Jacen moved forward, circling each other. "Can you believe this, that's Jacen Knight!" Jerry called as Jacen stomped forward, forcing Xavier to take a step back.

"I know, King. For those of you who are unaware, Jacen Knight is a former amateur wrestler and UFC Fighter. He is a NCAA Division I Champion, a two time former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, former IWGP Intercontinental Champion, a former two time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, former ROH Tag Team Champion, two time former ROH Television Champion and a former ROH World Heavyweight Champion."

Xavier and Jacen got close to lock up. However, instead of locking up, Jacen grabbed Xavier's arm and pulled him with a Hamukai, twisting his body to send Xavier to his knees and on hand while he violently slammed his knee into his opponents elbow. Xavier cried out as he jumped to his feet and jerked his arm free. He sent one punch at Jacen that the former MMA fighter deflected with his forearm. Xavier sent another that was also deflected. However, Jacen wrapped his arm around this one for an Ude-Gatame, pulling up before jerking his opponent to the ground and striking him in the face. Jacen entered a ground and pound position and began hammering away at his opponents face. Xavier did everything he could to protect his head until the referee forced Jacen to break away.

Jacen stood to his feet with a laugh as the crowd cheered. Jacen sneered at them before looking up the ramp. His eyes locked with Andy's and he mocked Xavier by placing his arms over his face, pretending to block punches. He turned around and Xavier kicked him in the side before delivering a strike to his face. Jacen's head whipped to the side and he chuckled before lashing out with a Polick Haimau, delivering three shots within seven tenths of a second, two to the head and one to the groin area. Xavier stumbled back. Jacen jumped through the air, slamming his right knee into Xavier's chin before bring his elbow down onto the top of his skull.

Xavier fell to his knees, dazed. Jacen laughed at him and motioned for him to get up. "Come on!" Jacen called. "Get up! Come on, I'll give you free shots!" Jacen spread his arms out and waited for Xavier to get up. The New Day member looked around in confusion before staring at Jacen who stood still. Xavier struck out at him, and Jacen dodged away. Xavier stared at him as Jacen smirked back, motioning for him to come on. Xavier began throwing wild punches as Jacen dodged and weaved backwards. When his back hit the ropes, Jacen swept his leg up in a Cup Jaran, his foot slamming into the side of Xavier's skull. Xavier stumbled back and Jacen moved forward with a Bodyguard Combo, kicking Xavier in the abdomen with his left foot, knocking him backward, before rushing forward and launching himself into the air, his left foot colliding with Xavier's skull. Xavier crumpled to the ground as the men on the stage watched with various reactions.

Jacen followed after Xavier and pulled him into a Triangle Choke. Xavier thrashed as he tried to escape the submission. Using his free right arm, Jacen began delivering devastating elbows and punches to the top and back of Xavier's skull. The referee quickly called for the bell as Xavier furiously began tapping. Jacen kept the hold locked in as he watched the ramp. When the other two members of New Day and Jordan began to go help Xavier, Jacen released the hold. He shoved Xavier out of the ring with his foot. He smirked up at the three approaching men as he leaned on the ropes, motioning for them to come into the ring with him. Owens shot past the three men and slid into the ring to stand beside the brown headed man. Xavier stumbled around the side of the ring and motioned for the other three to go back up the ramp with a shake of his head. Paul Heyman walked up the steel steps with a devilish smile on his face as he entered the ring with the two wrestlers. "Ladies and gentlemen, your winner by NO contest, Jacen Knight!"

Kevin Owens laughed at the men lined up from the stage down the ramp as Jacen cocked his arm like a gun and slid his thumb across his throat. Smackdown faded away.

XXX

Wrap. This one took a while. Even when I had time to write it I didn't know who I was going to have do what and I ran into a problem. Andy... is my John Cena in a way. He seems like my eternal baby face/tweener. I don't know if I'd ever have the heart to turn him full heel. So, what do you do for an eternal face? Introduce a bad heel. Enter Jacen. I created him to be a heel, and just as much a fighter as anyone else. If you want to know more about him, well here you go!

Real Name: Jacen Knight

Ring Name: Jacen Knight

Hometown: Phoenix Arizona

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Height: 6'2"

Weight: (Currently) 218 IBS

Skin Color: Somewhat tan

Appearance: He has a medium between light and dark brown hair. It's short on the sides and in the back. He has more on top that he either lays down or spikes into several untamed locks. He has almond shaped amber eyes. He has a scar on the right side of his mouth going through his top and bottom lip and a scar through his left eyebrow.

(Normal)Ring Attire: White tights with flame like X's coming from the top of the tights to the top of his thighs. The X's are black and outlined in red. There are two more X's starting under the knees and going up just above the mid thigh. They are also black and outlined in red. The design is also printed on a pair of white knee pads that blend into his tights. He has the design of a stylized skull shattered like a mirror printed in blue between the two X's on the outer thighs. He has black boots. Over the boots he wears kickpads. They are half black and half white with the black stretching across the white in two places. The black is outlined in red. In the middle of the kickpads near the top there is a skull formed with the black and white formed in a Yin yang style and outlined in red. The skull has two red eyes. Hayabusa is written down the sides and it has a Kanji on the top of the foot. He wears black Venum MMA contact glove wraps.

Entrance Attire: His entrance gear and a "Signature" black and orange Tiger Muay Thai sleeveless hoodie.

Street Clothes: Red leather jacket, UFC Sponsor tee shirts, faded jeans, white sneakers. On work out days he can be found in various Sponsor workout pants, compression shirts, hoodies and black and white sneakers.

Tattoos/ Piercings: None

Personality: Sarcastic, quick to reach a point, confident in his abilities

Wrestling Style: Brawler, Mixed Martial Arts, some high risk

Taunts: Sliding his thumb across his throat, cocking his arm like a gun, placing his arms over his face and mocking his opponent after a ground and pound, dodging and weaving

Signatures: Hamukai, Ude-Gatame, Scissor Takedown, Cup-Jaarn, Flying knee and elbow combination, Polick Haimau

Finishers: Triangle Choke(Claymore), Bodyguard Combo(Round Table), Thpouk Kang Soam(JKO)

Manager: Paul Heyman

Theme Song: Over and Under by Egypt Central

Entrance: Jacen walks out onto the stage in darkness with a spot light shining on him. He keeps his head down so his hood hides his face. He slowly looks up and does an elbow strike and uppercut to an invisible opponent before the lights raises. He walks down the ramp and pauses at the end of the ramp. He looks around the arena before jumping on the apron. He looks out at the crowd and shakes his head before jumping over the top rope. He lifts his hands up with his index fingers extended before cocking his arm like a gun and pointing at his opponent.

Titantron&Minitron: Titantron features matches and cutaways to Jacen locked in a cage. Minitron is a cage with Unleash the Knight flashing across it.

Relationships: N/A

Accomplishments:

Black Belt in multiple Martial Arts, including but not limited to, Muay Thai, Judo, Tae Kwon Do and Karate

NCAA Division I Champion

2x UFC Light Heavyweight Champion

1x UFC Heavyweight Champion

1x IWGP Intercontinental Champion

2x IWGP Heavyweight Champion

1x ROH Tag Team Champion

2x ROH Television Champion

1x ROH World Heavyweight Champion

Extra info: All of Jacen's signatures and Finishers are taken from the different fighting styles he's learned throughout his life.

Fight Club has, unsurprisingly, been Jacen's favorite movie since the first time he saw it.

Jacen has always styled his hair after Tyler Durden since his MMA debut. In UFC he wore it cut short like the fictional character at the end of the movie Fight Club. Once he became a wrestler he grew it out so he could spike his hair like the character in the beginning of the movie.

Bio:

Jacen Knight was born in Arizona Phoenix. He never knew his father and was raised by his single mother. Growing up, Jacen was a troubled child who hardly spent time with his mother as she worked two jobs to support him. He was smart as a child, but never motivated enough to push himself. He was bullied in grade school, and when he reached Jr high he began getting suspended and expelled from school. These fights would lead him to the realization that he loved fighting.

He would watch MMA matches wrestling and would invest in wrestling as well. He would join the wrestling team as his high school career progressed and would begin to study in different dojos different Martial Arts. When his mother became sick with cancer Jacen joined an underground fighting ring. He used the money he won to both provide for him and his mother, and further his studies in Martial Arts. After he graduated high school, he would continue Amateur wrestling for a time and become a NCAA Division I Champion. After his mother passed away, Jacen turned his focus to the Octagon and became a professional MMA fighter. He would eventually sign with the UFC and trained in different camps. He would win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, holding onto it for five months. After losing it, Jacen gained more weight to be placed in the Heavyweight Division. He would go on to actually become the UFC Heavyweight Champion in the fifth round of the fight. He would hold it for three months before losing it.

Impressed with his in ring prowess and with knowledge of his Amateur Wrestling career, New Japan Pro Wrestling approached him to see if he was interested in Professional Wrestling with the concept of pitting him against their IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura. Jacen would decline, not interested in it at the time. The offer intrigued him, and he began watching wrestling frequently, especially Shinsuke Nakamura. Impressed with wrestlers abilities, especially Luchador types, Jacen lost the weight he had gained and returned to the Light Heavyweight Division. He would claim the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship again for three months before making the switch to Professional Wrestling, interested in a new fight scene. After moving to Japan, Jacen debut in New Japan as Jason Cross, and quickly became a fan favorite. He would learn some high risk moves to fit into his new enviornment, but hung to the Arts he had always known. He became the IWGP Intercontinental Champion and held onto the title for six months before losing it. Directly afterward he began fighting against Shinsuke Nakamura and would win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from him. He held the title for one year before losing it. He would win it back two months later, but the title was quickly vacated when Jacen chose not to resign with NJPW and opted to move back to America and signing with Ring of Honor, now in love with Professional Wrestling. This is where he debut using his real name of Jacen Knight. He would go on to become a top Heel performer. He would capture the ROH Tag Team Championships with a partner, but lost them a mere month later. He would go on to capture the ROH Television Championship and hold it for four months before losing it. Jacen would have a harsh rivalry with Andy Mercier after a contest between them ended in a draw. The two would fight backstage over who was the better fighter. This would end in a UFC style Knockout fight that Jacen would win. Jacen would reclaim the Television championship for an additional five months reign before losing it again. He would immediately target the ROH World Heavyweight Champion and take the championship from him. He held the title for several months before losing it in a triple threat match. A month later, his contract with ROH expired and he signed with the WWE.


	33. Chapter 33

Blitzkrieg 1.12

"Jacen Knight huh?" Seth spoke as the Bullet Club walked backstage at Raw. "From the looks you were giving each other, you acted like you knew one another, Andy." Andy gave a half shrug as he lead the way.

"We do. We were in Ring of Honor together. He's... not someone to be taken lightly."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't talk about it." Andy returned over his shoulder. Seth looked to the other two Bullet Club members for answers. Luke grimaced and shook his head. Karl took a deep breath.

"Andy's unbeaten in UFC and MMA overall... technically."

"What do you mean technically?"

"Andy and Jacen were in ROH together. They barely spoke to each other. Even though they're pretty much cut from the sound background of fighting, they just never got along that well."

"They had a match." Luke picked up. "And it ended in a draw. Jacen and Andy were furious. Fighters like them and Jordan, it's an embarrassment to end in a draw. You either win or lose and move on. They would get into fights backstage. They would fight each other constantly." Karl nodded before speaking.

"From what I've heard... management got sick of it because they made it impossible for each other to have matches. So, they set up a UFC style Knockout fight between them, kind of like Jordan and Owens. Of course, being in wrestling, it has no actual mark on your UFC and MMA career." Seth looked back and forth between the men as they shifted uncomfortably.

"So what happened?"

"Jacen knocked me out in the first round." Andy returned without looking over his shoulder. Seth stared at his back in disbelief.

"That's... impossible. After everything I did to you in our match you kept getting back up."

"Because I swore I'd never get knocked out again." Andy returned as he paused, causing the other three to halt. He turned to stare at Seth. "It wasn't a TKO, it wasn't a submission that made me pass out. One good blow and I was out for almost thirty minutes. Whatever you do, don't take Jacen Knight lightly. He isn't the man you want to underestimate." Seth nodded in response and Andy began leading his team once again.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began playing as the crowd roared happily. Andy appeared on stage leading the Bullet Club. He held his title on his shoulder and looked around at the crowd before he walked down the ramp. Seth jumped on the side of the barricade and touched hands with the fans before following after the rest of his teammates into the ring.

"There are a lot of things going on." Andy spoke as he lifted a microphone to his mouth. "We're dealing with the New Day, we are a little over a week away from the Royal Rumble, Finn Balor still has sour grapes about me being the WWE Universal Champion, and now... there's this Fight Club." Andy paused to look at Seth. "Apparently, there's irony in that that's lost on me."

"You need to watch movies more often." Seth spoke with a shrug of his shoulders. "You're the only person in this building who doesn't know who Samuel Jackson is." Andy rolled his eyes at the statement.

"All things considered, I think Bullet Club is handling it all pretty well."

"Especially considering that the New Day really only has us to worry about and one of their guys got systematically taken out last week on Smackdown!" Seth added with his signature laugh. The neck roll Andy made at these words was not lost on his teammates.

"Don't you dare be sour, clap your hands for your world famous two time Tage Team Champs, and feel the power! It's a new day, yes it is!" Andy grimaced as the New Day's music began playing. Karl placed his hands over his ears as Xavier played his trumpet.

"Hey, hey!" Seth called as he motioned for the music to be cut. "You mind cutting that crap off!?"

"Now Seth, just because you're hopes of being as great as us are dashed doesn't mean you should interrupt the fans happiness. After all, we are their W. W. E. World. Tag Team Champions!" Seth shook his head as he looked to his teammates.

"Hey, Xavier." Luke spoke in return to the man's little speech. "How are you doing buddy? You don't look so good. You got your elbow bandaged up, the right side of your face looks a little bruised... you look like you got in a fight and got stomped!"

"That's real funny, Luke." Kofi spoke with a sarcastic smile. "Especially since you and your fellow Booty Club member Karl always look like that when we face you." Karl stepped forward as the three men entered the ring, Luke pushing him back as he eyed the New Day.

"Which reminds me, we brought you some Booty O's!" Big E called as the crowd cheered. He lifted up a box and gestured to them. "Booty O's, they make it where you're not booty."

"Oh, I'm sorry Big E, we brought gifts too, but we left them in the back." Andy spoke with false apology. "What was it we brought them again, Seth?" Seth laughed as he raised his mic up.

"Bullet O's!" Seth replied causing the New Day to roll their eyes.

"For when you need to put an old dog down." Andy added as he pointed his hand like a gun at Xavier.

"You know, we know that you have that one man advantage." Xavier stated before he rubbed his arm. "And I know that I'm not at a hundred percent to fight tonight. But, we got Big E and he makes up two of you."

"Two." Big E spoke with raised eyebrows. "Like the amount of Booty O's boxes you cost us on the plane ride to the United Kingdom."

"Is that right?" Andy questioned as he placed his title on the ground and removed the flannel shirt he was wearing over his Bullet Club tee shirt. "Well, let me ask you a question. Are you feeling lucky?"

"That's Clint Eastwood." Seth spoke, causing Andy to raise his hand.

"Not the time for made up movies Seth." Xavier nodded with a smile as the New Day began getting ready for a fight. The crowd cheered before Stephanie McMahon's music hit.

"That's enough." She spoke with a shake of her head. "This isn't how Raw is going to go tonight. Everyone of you in that ring has caused me a major headache because you keep going to Smackdown where you don't belong. So, just to appease my brother, tonight, a Smackdown superstar will be here on Raw. Andy, since The New Day had one of their members fight on Smackdown because of this same reason, I'll leave it up to you which member of the Bullet Club fights that superstar tonight." Stephanie sent a smile down to the ring as Andy picked his title up and stared up at her with a shake of his head.

"Who do you think it is?" Seth questioned as they walked backstage, causing Andy to shrug.

"I don't know for sure, mate. But I have a pretty good idea." Andy paused as Bayley walked their way. "We have a little bit of time though, so we'll talk about it later. You guys go on, I'll meet you at the locker room." Luke chuckled as he slapped Andy on the shoulder.

"You know us better than that. We'll be nearby in case anything goes downhill." Andy nodded in response as the three men walked down the hall a little ways.

"Hey Andy." Bayley spoke with a smile and a wave as the champion drew closer. He smiled back at her.

"Hey Bayley. What's going on?" Bayley shook her head with a slight shrug.

"Not much. I don't have a match tonight so that's kind of a bummer. I heard what Stephanie said. Who are you going to have fight tonight?" Andy pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know. If it's who I'm thinking it is, then putting anybody from the Bullet Club out there puts us in serious danger for the Royal Rumble, especially with it being so close now."

"You think it's that guy that showed up on Smackdown?" Andy sighed and placed an arm around her shoulder, waving his hand through the air as if telling her to imagine.

"Jacen Knight is a fighter. Scratch that. He's a prize fighter. If you took Brock Lesnar and squished him down into a smaller form... you'd have a bulging ball of muscles. Anyway, Jacen is dangerous. He's like a living weapon." Bayley laughed at the man's poking fun at Lesnar and frowned at the end.

"You know him don't you? Like personally."

"He knocked me out." Andy replied with a solemn nod of his head.

"But... you're undefeated."

"It was in a wresrling ring. Doesn't count on an MMA record." Bayley reached out to rub his shoulder as Andy stared far off. "I'll catch up with you later, I have to go work this mess out with the Club." Bayley nodded and waved after him as he made his way down the hallway to where the Bullet Club waited for their leader.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!"

"And here we go!" Michael Cole spoke as Shot'em began playing. "I wonder which Bullet Club member is going to step up!"

"And it looks like it's Karl!" Corey responded as the lone Bullet Club member stepped out onto the stage. He took a deep breath and walked down the ramp before entering the ring. His jaw clenched as his music died and Paul Heyman walked out, signaling one of two things.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am the advocate for Brock Lesnar, and now the advocate for Jacen Knight! So, for the viewing of Raw, fresh from his no contest win on Smackdown, from Phoenix Arizona, Jacen Knight!"

Over and Under by Egypt Central played and Karl clenched his jaw tighter. Jacen walked out into the spotlight wearing the same attire as the week before, his head lowered so that his hood hid his face. He slowly lifted his head and removed his hood to reveal his smirking face. He walked down the ramp with Paul close beside him. Reaching the end of the ramp, he looked around the arena before Leaping onto the apron. Jacen looked out into the cheering crowd and shook his head. He jumped over the top rope before lifting his arms and extending his index fingers. He lowered his arms before cocking his right forearm like a gun and pointed at Karl. Said Bullet Club member rolled his neck as the referee glanced back and forth before calling for the bell. Jacen and Karl darted forward and circled each other. Karl swallowed nervously as Jacen smirked at him. Karl went for a lock up. Jacen dodged to the side and rammed his knee into Karl's abdomen, forcing him to double over. Jacen rammed his knee up into his face before slamming his elbow down into the back of his neck. Karl hit the mat. Jacen reached down and pulled him to his feet. Karl forced his hands away and tried to get a strike in. Jacen forced his arm away with his forearm. Karl sent another strike his way, but Jacen knocked it away again. This time, he wrapped his arm around Karl's and pulled up before jerking him down and slamming his fist into his face, completing his Ude-Gatame. Karl tried to force himself away from Jacen, but he was unable to avoid the ground and pound position. Jacen delivered devastating blows to his skull until he was finally forced away by the referee.

Jacen laughed as Karl felt his head. A gash had opened up just above his right eye. Jacen placed his arms over his face and mocked the way Karl had tried to protect himself. Karl slowly got to his feet, now dazed. Jacen shook his head as he walked forward. Karl took a wild swing and Jacen dodged back. His leg shot out and his shin smashed into Karl's side. The Bullet Club member stumbled to the side before Jacen moved forward again, slamming both of his elbows into his opponents skull. Karl hit the mat with a hip toss from the former MMA fighter. He stared up at the ceiling as Jacen entered another ground and pound position, slamming his elbows into his opponents skull. When he was forced to break away, he stalked around Karl's body. He paused as the crowd cheered and gave a dismissive wave of his arm at them. He pointed his hand like a gun at Karl, mocking Andy Mercier as he yelled "Shot down!"

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Jacen grinned and turned to face the ramp as Andy began walking down the ramp. He pointed at the ring and yelled at Jacen. A hand grabbed the Smackdown superstars shoulder and jerked him around. Jacen shoved Karl away before spinning through the air and slamming his foot in his opponents jaw for a Tornado Kick. Karl's head snapped to the side and he fell limp to the mat before Jacen turned to face Andy again. The Bullet Club leader paused as Jacen's piercing amber eyes stared into him. Two forearms slammed into his back, and Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe began stomping him. Jacen leaned on the top rope and placed his chin in his hand, watching the scene with an expression of boredom.

He didn't warn Owens and Joe as Seth and Luke rushed at them with chairs. Likewise, he didn't react when the Bullet Club quickly laid waste to the two men with their weapons. Luke and Seth helped Andy to his feet where he held his back before they walked down the ramp. Jacen sent Andy a knowing smile as the Bullet Club leader issued instructions, the other two men going to the nearest sides of the ring. "Oh boy." Cole spoke as Jacen stepped back to stand by the unmoving Karl with his arms outstretched. "And we've seen this tactic from Seth Rollins before when he was a member of the Shield. They may be looking to get the numbers gain on Jacen now that Owens and Joe are down."

"Hey!" Paul Heyman called from the only side of the ring that a Bullet Club member did not stand on. "Don't do that! I'm warning you! Don't do it." Andy glanced to Heyman.

"Shut up old man!" Seth called before Andy nodded his head. The Bullet Club began to enter the ring. As soon as their first legs went through, the New Day came rushing down the ramp. They jumped onto the apron to face off against the Bullet Club members. Jacen watched with crossed arms and they exchanged words. Then, Big E and Xavier moved to the vacant side of the ring while Kofi stayed beside Andy. Jacen looked around as the six enemies surrounded him as they entered the ring.

Next Big Thing began playing and everyone's head swiveled to the stage as Brock Lesnar stepped out and bounced in place. "Oh my god! Thats Brock Lesnar!" Lesnar stopped before he began walking down the ramp, past the downed Owens and Joe. New Day rushed from the ring to confront him. Luke turned around into a Bodyguard Combo that sent him to the mat. Brock grabbed Xavier and launched him into the barricade.

Luke sent a punch at Jacen, who knocked it away with his forearm. He lashed out, knocking Andy away with a kick before punching Luke in the chest multiple times with the Wing Chun Punch. Jacen followed up by launching himself into the air, slamming his right foot into the same spot on Luke's chest with a Wire Fu Kick that flung Luke backwards and Under the bottom rope. Brock dodged a strike from Big E and slammed his elbow into his face before sliding behind Kofi and suplexing him to the ramp. Jacen turned as Andy rushed at him. He jammed his heel into Andy's abdomen, halting him in place before Andy was caught with a Thpouk Kang Soam. Andy's head whipped to the side and he crumbled to the mat. Black spots danced through his vision. Jacen turned and ducked down as a revived Karl rushed at him. He lifted him onto his shoulders. He turned to the ramp where Brock held a struggling Big E on his own shoulders. Their eyes mat and Paul Heyman laughed as they performed simultaneous F5s. "Wow! Did you see that!?" Jacen picked up a three count from the F5.

Over and Under played again as Brock and Paul entered the ring. Brock and Jacen stared at one another as Paul talked back and forth between them. The still dazed forms of Owens and Joe, who laughed as they talked to the former MMA fighters. Brock looked at Jacen. He returned the stare with a slight shrug. Brock lashed out, grabbing Kevin before driving him to the mat with a F5. Joe turned to face Jacen who caught him with two fists slamming into his lower skull like an uppercut in a Hanuman before Jacen launched himself through the air with a flying knee that caused Joe's body to come from the mat and flying backwards to the mat. Paul Heyman laughed as he looked around the ring.

"What did we just witness...?" Cole spoke in shock.

"We just saw Brock Lesnar and Jacen Knight decimate all four members of Bullet Club, all three members of New Day and the two members of Fight Club we though Jacen was aligned with." Corey responded in awe of the scattered bodies laying throughout the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Heyman spoke after retrieving a microphone. "The Beast has been unleashed and God mode had been activated. I give you Brock Lesnar and Jacen Knight!" Brock patted Jacen on the shoulder and the two shook hands as Raw went to commercial.

"Welcome to Tuesday night Smackdown!" Jerry announced as the Miz stomped his way down the ramp without his music playing. "And it looks like the Miz has something that he wants to say... as always." The Miz entered the ring and snatched a microphone from an official. He stalked back and forth as Maryse stood behind him before he lifted the mic.

"This is ridiculous!" Miz stated angrily as he stared into the camera. "You know, you people make me sick! You cheer people like Jordan Sterling who was a champion all of two months before he lost the title! He wins it back, and guess what!? He loses it two months later! Meanwhile, we are still in the never ending Intercontinental title reign! The fact that Jordan Sterling is in the Royal Rumble and I'm not, makes me sick! Yeah, go ahead and boo! I am in this ring day in and day out for over ten years, but let's boo Miz and cheer Sterling, because Sterling put a barbed wire bat in Kevin Owens head! Yeah, because that's what wrestling is all about right!? We want hardcore! Go ahead, chant it! We want hardcore! We want hardcore!" Miz flared his nostrils angrily as the fans began chanting 'We want hardcore!'.

Tattooed Attitude by Dale Oliver began playing. A tan man around 6'1" with sleeve tattoos walked onto the ramp wearing a black hooded tactical vest with a punisher skull and the words 'Tattooed Attitude' in tribal letters stitched on the front. He had black elbow pads, Navy Blue and black basketball shorts, black knee pads and black boots with navy blue kickpads designed with black tribal skulls on them. He also wore navy blue and black gloves. Around his neck was a Tattooed Attitude necklace.

He walked with his arms spread out and his head down. He quickly crouched down and slapped the stage before popping back up with his arms outstretched, his hands made to look like guns. He lowered his arms and slapped the fans hands before removing his necklace and handing it to a little boy. He slid into the ring, staring at Miz from under his hood before going to the second rope. He threw back his hood to reveal short and spiky jet black hair and steel grey eyes. He put his arms into the air before doing a back flip off of the rope. "Hey! Cut the music! Who do you think you are!?" The man stared at Miz while he grabbed a microphone.

"Watch your tone." The man snapped back. "I'm a two time ROH Champion, a three time ROH Tag Team Champion. More importantly, I was an ECW Champion."

"Oh, oh, so you're hardcore right?" Miz asked sarcastically.

"That's right. I'm Matthew Rodriguez." The fans cheered upon hearing his name, and Matthew nodded. "And I'm here to shut you up. It makes you sick that you're not in the Royal Rumble? It makes me sick that you're the Intercontinental Champion."

"You're just like all these people." Miz snapped. "Because, because you put your body on the line you're better than me, right? I have never, not once, been injured! I bet you have though, right?"

"That's right." Matthew shot back. "I've been injured, but I love this business and I love these fans! And that's why, I have one reason to be out here tonight. To tell you, I'm coming for your title."

"Oh, that's rich." Miz returned with a laugh. "Hate to break it to you, but you don't get to come in my ring and demand title shots you don't-" Miz was interrupted as Matthew kicked him in the gut and hit him with an Impaler DDT. Maryse yelled as Matthew stared down at the Champion before retrieving his mic.

"Unfortunately, you don't get to decide that. Daniel Bryan does. You know, the General Manager that you insulted? I'll see you at the Royal Rumble." Matthew dropped his microphone and vacated the ring. He made his way up the ramp, but paused as the speakers sparked to life and the crowd roared.

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." The camera panned around wildly as the fans screamed as loud as they could. The camera finally zoomed in on three men.

"I can't believe this! It's the Shield!" Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns were obvious dressed in their blacked out gear. The third, while around the same height as Rollins, did not appear to be him. The third man wore a black tactical vest with a black hood pulled over his head. He wore a black balaclava with a lower skull printed on it with elongated canines. He had black fingerless tactical gloves that were velcroed on the wrists, black cargo pants and black combat boots.

The three men cleared the barricade and stood in front of the ring. Matthew watched them with weary eyes as Dean and the third man removed their hoods to stare at him. This revealed that the third man was not Seth Rollins. He had black hair that was shaved on the sides forming a Mohawk out of the hair on top of his head, tappering off into a point at the nape of his neck. The top of his hair was dyed burgundy red. His eyes were blue, darker on the outside and getting lighter as they got close to his pupils, almost to the point of being white. The third man stood between the other two and nodded at Matthew before turning and facing the ring.

He pointed to the sides of the ring before Roman and Dean moved to them. They climbed the apron at once.

"It looks like the Shield has reformed with a new third member, but that's the same tactic that they used to dominate the WWE!" The Miz slowly came to one knee as Maryse backed herself into a corner. The Miz looked around in horror as the three men entered the ring at once.

"Don't do this." Seth spoke as he looked at Roman. "You don't want to do this." He pleaded with Dean. He turned to face the new member and his face got red as it appeared he was simply staring through the Miz. "You're not going to do this!" The New member of the Shield slapped Miz in the face, causing him to stumble into a spear from Roman as Maryse screamed. The members of the Shield stared down at him before Dean pulled him up and drove him to the mat with a Dirty Deeds. The third member pulled his head, making him come to his hands and knees before he Curb Stomped him. Miz twisted on his head and landed on his back. Roman gave a roar and the crowd returned it as Dean and his new teammate pulled Miz up and placed him on Roman's shoulders.

From his place on the stage, Matthew watched as they delivered a Triple Powerbomb to the Intercontinental Champion. The three men looked up into the camera. Roman put his fist out in front of himself. The other two placed theirs on the side of his as Special Ops played. Maryse slid to the mat to check on Miz as The Shield stood over him and Smackdown went to commercial.

As Smackdown returned, Meteor played and Brianna stepped out onto the stage. She smiled as she tapped the Women's championship around her waist and waved the Shaka sign. She made her way down to the ring and grabbed a microphone as her music ended. "You know, for the past couple of weeks, I've been having Asuka come out here. Now, Asuka, I know your reputation. You push people to their very limits. And if you're on Smackdown now, I think that's great. But, if you want to fight me, come out here and say it to my face." The crowd cheered as Brianna turned and faced the stage waiting with his arms out. Though it wasn't Asuka, the fans still cheered as Shane McMahon danced out to his music.

He bounced in place with a half smile as he looked around the cheering arena before speaking into a microphone. "Brianna, while I agree with what you're saying, I regret to inform everyone that Asuka is not here. However, I will confirm that she is a new addition to Smackdown. And Brianna, things in the Smackdown Women's Division has been a little wild the last few months. Mostly your competitors just take it upon themselves to make them your number one contender. That won't be the case this month. At the Royal Rumble you will be facing Asuka... and Becky Lynch in Triple threat title match!" Brianna nodded her head with a smile as the fans cheered.

"Asuka and Becky Lynch." Brianna spoke back into her microphone. "Asuka, I've never faced you before, but like I said, I know your reputation. And I'm prepared to go to war to keep my championship. Becky, we've fought twice and you've beaten me twice. I plan for things to work out differently this time." Meteor played again as Brianna returned her mic to an official before vacating the ring and making her way backstage.

"Strong words from the Women's Champion there." Phillips commented. "And from champion to aspiring champions to be we go."

"That's right!" Jerry returned. "Jordan Sterling and Heath Slater will go one on one to try to move up the entry list of Smackdown's Royal Rumble competitors!" Heath Slater excitedly made his way down the ramp with his Tag Team title before entering the ring. He handed the belt off to an official before waiting for his opponent. The lights turned off and the crowd cheered as You're Going Down began playing. When the lights rose, Jordan stared intently at Heath from the top of the ramp. He came to one knee to give his cry of "One man enters and one man leaves!" Before making his way down the ramp. He paused at the end to stare at the camera before jumping on the apron. He ran the ropes and tapped the last turnbuckle he reached before throwing his shirt to the crowd and entering the ring. He stared at Heath as the referee glanced between them before calling for the bell.

Jordan and Heath moved forward. Heath circled around Jordan before lurching forward to grab him. Jordan caught heath in a hip toss that sent him to the mat. Heath quickly got back to his feet amd was met with three consecutive shots to the face. Heath stumbled back but Jordan grabbed his arm and Irish whipped him into the ropes. Heath came back into a high knee. Heath hit the mat with his eyes closed. "And a Jordan Special early on!" Jordan went for the cover, but Heath got his shoulder up. "But Heath kicks out! Wow! Heath showing heart here tonight!" Jordan looked down at the man and shook his head. Jordan made to pick Heath up, but Heath shoved him away. Jordan swung at him, but the man ducked down under it. Heath slammed his forearm into Jordan's face before launching him into the corner.

Heath rushed after him and hit him with a running elbow that caused Jordan to stumble forward. Heath jumped onto the turnbuckle and when Jordan turned around he was hit with a missile dropkick. Heath rushed back up the turnbuckles as the crowd cheered, and when Jordan returned to his feet, Heath caught him with a diving Crossbody. Heath went to the outside apron with a smile. "I have to say, Heath Slater is really impressing me tonight!" Phillips complimented. Heath went for a a slingshot corkscrew splash. As he twisted through the air though, Jordan launched to his feet and caught him with a spear.

"Oh! M16!" Jerry called as Jordan went for a pin. "Heath was definitely impressive, but he just didn't have it in him to put Jordan away tonight." You're Going Down played as Jordan stood to his feet. He glanced up at the Wrestlemania sign hanging over head. He pointed at the sign with one hand and pointed at himself with the other hand. He exited the ring and began walking up the ramp. He paused when Over and Under played. Jacen Knight walked from backstage wearing a Venum compression shirt, white Tiger Muay Thai sweats and white sneakers. He stopped by Jordan and the two men stared intensely at one another before Jacen brushed past him and entered the ring. Jordan turned around and watched with a less than please face as, when Heath got to his feet, Jacen hit him with a Bodyguard Combo, sending him through the ropes to ringside.

The crowd booed as Jacen laughed. Jordan went back down to the ring to check on Heath. "Yeah, go ahead and get him out of here." Jacen spoke. "He's not needed. Now, there's been a little shock in the wrestling world. I debut as a partner of Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe. Less than a week later I lay them out with Brock Lesnar. Why? Well, I think Kevin got our talks a little mixed up. I respect Kevin. He's a great wrestler. And admittedly, Fight Club is my favorite movie. But I'm not a team player. And I'm not here for a tag team or some petty feud. And since Kevin and Joe decided to stick their noses in my match for the second time, he needed to be put in his place."

Jacen paused as he noticed Jordan and Heath still at ringside. "Hey! Get him out of here and get away from the ring! You're not on my level and shouldn't be anywhere near me." Jordan stood to his feet as he helped Heath up while he stared intently at Jacen. "What? You want to fight? Sorry, your arms are just too short to box with god. Now, as I was saying, I don't care if anybody tries to attack me or team up on me. I think I proved that last night when I-"

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." Special Ops played for the third time that night and the camera panned around until it landed on the three men maneuvering through the crowd. They quickly reached the barricade and cleared it before coming to stand in front of the ring.

"Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins replacement are back!" Jerry called as Dean and his new partner lowered their hoods to stare at Jordan, who now stood defensively in front of Heath. The new middle man gave Jordan a slow nod before turning to face the ring. As before, he indicated with his arms to the sides of the ring. Roman and Dean went to those sides. With another nod, they all climbed onto the apron.

"Really? You three think your arms are long enough to box with god?" Jacen questioned with a smug tone. The unknown man rolled his neck before all three members of the Shield entered the ring. "You really want me to box with you? Fine." Jacen dropped his mic. Dean moved forward and threw a punch that Jacen deflected with a forearm. He kicked Dean in the gut and slammed his fist into the third members face. Roman jerked him around and Jacen caught him with an elbow strike. Roman stumbled before Jacen used his arm to throw him to the ground and slammed his fist into his face for an Ude-Gatame. He turned and rushed forward, slamming his knee into Dean's chin before bringing his elbow down onto the top of his skull. Dean fell to his knees and Jacen turned to to the third member and went for a Thpouk Kang Soam. The mystery man dodged away, but Jacen pull his arm back and slammed it into the side of his skull, causing him to stumble.

Suddenly, Dean clipped Jacen's leg with his shoulder. Jacen put all of his weight on the other leg to stay up and limped in a semi circle to be speared busy Roman. Jacen held his abdomen before rolling to his stomach. As he pushed off the mat, the third man Curb Stomped his face into the mat, causing his body to twist. The man turned to stare at Jordan, who held Heath up with one abdomen, watching in shock as the New Shield did what the New Day and Bullet Club together couldn't. Roman released a roar and the two smaller men dragged Jacen to his feet and placed him onto Roman's shoulders before they delivered the second Triple Powerbomb of the night. The three men connected their fists together as Special Ops played. Smackdown faded as Jordan looked in shock at the seemingly dominant Jacen's unmoving body.

XXX

Wrap. Wow that felt good. Even though I made Jacen, I hate him because he's such a Dick. Anyway, Matthew Rodriguez is StoneWolf120's oc. I'll give you some info on him here in a second (I'm just giving that out now because it's so moved on in the story). And I assure you, the third member of the Shield... is an oc. I made him. I'll give you his info when I reveal his name but for now he's mystery man. Jacen won't be a focal point of the story because he's not in the... main character klique. So don't expect to see too too much of him. Some matches and promos. Maybe a little of backstage time. That's about it probably. Matthew will be main stay. I hope you guys like my new one as well and I hope he becomes main stay.

So guys... I gotta get surgery, and what I have to get it on can definitely effect my updates. I just wanted to give a heads up in case I fall off the face of Earth for a while.

OK. Oc time.

Real Name: Matthew Rodriguez

Ring Name: Matthew Rodriguez

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Height: 6"1'

Weight: 265 lbs

Skin Color: Very tan

Social Media Handle: WWE_TATTOOED_ATTITUDE

Appearance: Short and spikey jet black hair, small beard growing on his face, steel grey eyes

Ring Attire: Black hooded Tactical vest with the punisher skull and the words "Tattooed Attitude" in tribal lettering stitched on the front. A tribal skull face make that cover his mouth and nose. Black elbow pads. Navy bleach and black basketball shorts, Black knee pads black boots with navy blue kick pads with tribal black skulls on each one. And black and navy blue gloves

Entrance Attire: Same as he rings attire except he has his hood up during his entrance, with a Tattooed Attitude necklace that he takes off and gives to a lucky fan

Street Clothes: Black hooded leather jacket with white tribal angel wings with a tribal cross in the middle stitched on the back, Black wife beater, dark blue baggy jeans, and tan steel-toed boots

Tattoos/Piercings: Various Tattoos that form sleeves on both of his arms

Personality: He's one tough S.O.B. who doesn't care about the rules. A hardcore rebel that'll do anything for his friends, he's willing risk his own body in order to win. He isn't afraid to spill some blood. A rebel who will stand against corruption no matter the odds or the costs

Wrestling Style: Extreme, Hardcore, Brawler, High Flyer

Taunts: Holds his hand up like a gun and points it at his opponent, Spreads his arms out wide as he yells out to the crowd,

Signatures: Super kick, Spinebuster, Suicide Dive over the ropes, Backstabber

Finishers: Eye of the Storm (Blue Thunder Bomb), Original Sin (Impaler DDT), Judgement Day (Twist of Fate)

Manager: None

Theme Song: "Tattooed Attitude" by Dale Oliver

Entrance: Walks onto the stage with his arms spread out with his head down, he quickly squats down and slaps his hands on the stage as he pops up with and spreads his arms out again with his hands mad to look like guns. He walks down the ring slapping the hands of fans. He talks of his tribal "Tattooed Attitude" necklace and gives it to a lucky fan. He slides into the ring and stands on the second rope and he throws his hood off and raises his arms in the air and then does a back flip off the second rope

Titantron & Minitron: His titantron features all the type of matches that he's been in. His minitron is "Tattooed Attitude" written in tribal lettering

Relationships: N/A

Accomplishments: 2x Ring of Honor Champion, 3x Ring of Honor Tag Team Champion, 1x Extreme Championship Wrestling Champion

Bio: Matthew grew up with his family in Miami Florida. His dad was a huge wrestling fan, so because of that Matthew would end up watching and becoming a fan of the sport himself. Him and his friends would always get into trouble because they would either hurt themselves or end up breaking something while trying to mimic all the different wrestling moves that they would see on tv. Matthew grew up with his mother Tracey, his father Dan, his two older sisters Michelle and Sierra, and his younger sister Kelsey. Being the only boy of his siblings, he took it upon himself to be there to always be able to protect his sisters. One day when he was walking home and he happened to hear screaming coming from his house. He ran inside and saw that his sister Michelle was having another argument with her abusive boyfriend Jason. Matthew decided that he had enough and tried to step in and break up the fight, and that ended up with him getting a broken jaw and a busted lip. Ever since that day he would keep getting into fights with boys that were always trying to harass his sisters. One day years later he was looking around the internet and he found and ad talking about how Ring of Honor was holding auditions looking for some new talent. He trained and traveled all over the world before going in for his audition. During his years of training he meet and became very friends with young Irish Female wrestler named Rebecca Quin (Becky Lynch). They eventually basically had become surrogate brother and sister. He went in and aced his audition, throughout his career he would move on to become the ROH champion and holding it for 4 months before he lost it. He would come back to reclaim it 6 months later and would end up holding onto it for a record of one year in his career before losing it due to injury. He would come back 5 months later and would go on to become a 3x ROH Tag Team Champion. In the following years to come he would be contacted by ECW and would drafted to their roster. This is where Matthew had discovered that he had a thing for being hardcore and extreme. His most known matches of his ECW career were his No Holds Barred Matches, Hardcore Matches. Eventually Challenging Matt Hardy for the ECW Championship in a NO HOLDS BARRED match. These two man went to absolute war with each other, each one of them spilling blood as they battle for dominance. It got to the point where no one honestly knew where the match would go. He ended up hitting matt with an Eye of the Storm on top of some tacks, and with that he was finally able to pick up the win and become the new ECW Champion. He would later be contacted by Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan and signed to WWE under the SmackDown brand


	34. Chapter 34

Blitzkrieg 1.13

"Welcome to Monday Night Raw, and we are just six days removed from the Royal Rumble!" Michael Cole exclaimed as the camera panned around on the crowd.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began playing as Andy lead his three teammates down to the ring with his title sitting proudly on his shoulder. They entered the ring and retrieved microphones before Andy spoke.

"New Day. You just couldn't stay out of our way, could you? You had to come running down the ramp to stick your nose where it doesn't belong! And because of you, we were all made to look like a bunch of Muppets! Especially when another group, of three men, did what seven of us couldn't on Smackdown! Seth, you have something to say about that, right?" Seth nodded in response to Andy.

"Right. First, kudos to Dean and Roman for trying to get their careers on track. But you two should know, there was and always will be only one Shield. You have two thirds of the Shield and some new guy. That being said, good on you three for laying Jacen Knight out. The Bullet Club would have done it first if The New Day hadn't interfered in what we had going last week."

"Don't you dare be sour! Clap your hands for your world famous two time Tag Team Champions, and feel the power! It's a new day, yes it is!" The Bullet Club turned to face the ramp as The New Day made their way down the ramp.

"If your memory is a little messed up, then you might forget that we didn't get laid out with you four. We never even got close to Jacen Knight." Kofi spoke in defense of New Day. "You all got put down by Jacen Knight on your own."

"You should probably be a little thankful that we there as a matter of fact, because if we weren't, you would've had Jacen Knight and Brock Lesnar on you. And if that had happened, you probably wouldn't have made it to the Royal Rumble, let alone Raw tonight."

"I beg to differ." Luke spoke with a shake of his head. "You see, Brock didn't come out here when it was us against Jacen. It was when you three came running out and it became Bullet Club and New Day against Jacen. So I think, if anything, you owe Bullet Club an apology for bringing Lesnar out here with you!"

"You want an apology?" Xavier asked with a laugh. "Fine. New Day is sorry that your NWO knockoff is so booty!"

"You're hacking on the wrong team." Andy spoke to Xavier, causing Seth to step up.

"And unless you want your careers to end early, I suggest you three turn around and play your little instruments back up the ramp so you can live to see another new day."

"I see the Bullet Club is full of crap like always." Big E stated with a smile. "But I notice one that isn't talking. What happened Karl? That match last week rattle you so much in your head that you can't talk anymore?"

"Watch your mouth." Karl spoke venemously. "Because if you don't, then I'll put your ass down." The crowd cheered at these words." The battle of wits between the two teams ended as Kevin Owens music began playing before he and Samoa Joe walked down to the ring with microphones in hand.

"In case you've all forgotten last week, if there's anybody that should be pissed, it's us." Samoa Joe spoke before Owens nodded and picked up.

"Yeah, because of you seven, not only did we lose a partner, but we got laid out by him and Brock Lesnar."

"Go cry me a river." Andy spat as he pointed up the ramp. "Jacen Knight hurt me, boo hoo. Let me give you some advice. Jacen Knight doesn't like to work with people. He likes to hurt people. So the fact that you tried to partner up with him and he turned on you is entirely your fault."

"It doesn't matter." Kevin spoke with a shake of his head. "You decided to stick your nose in places where it wasn't meant to be and we tried to rectify that and it bit us in the ass." Kevin stepped forward to come face to face with Andy but was pushed back by Seth and Luke. A triangle was formed in the ring as the three teams stared off with each other. All nine men turned and faced the stage as Over and Under began playing. Jacen walked onto the stage wearing a Venum tee shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers.

"I'm trying to sit in the back with my advocate Paul Heyman to negotiate with upper management. But nobody can think because you all are bickering back and forth like kids and that's all we hear. So, I suggest you all close your mouths and get out of the ring before I come down there and recreate the scene from last Monday by knocking each and everyone of you out."

"By all means, please do!" Xavier spoke with a smile as the nine men in the ring lined the front of the canvas. "Because I think I speak for every person in this ring when I say we want nothing more than to get our hands on you." Jacen smirked at this and his body shook with a visible chuckle.

"Sorry to break it to you, but history has proven time and time again that a few mortal men cannot topple a god."

"If that's what history says," Andy spat at Jacen spitefully, "Then it was proven wrong on Smackdown when three men Triple power bombed your ass straight into the mat." Jacen licked his lips with a smile.

"I'm going to make you eat those words, Mercier." Jacen dropped his microphone and made his way down the ramp as the superstars in the ring eagerly waited for him. When he reached the front of the ring, Jacen stopped and smiled at Andy before shaking his head. He turned and began making his way back up the ramp as the crowd booed. Andy slid out of the ring and ran after him. Seeing this on the Titantron, Jacen turned and met him head on. Seth and Luke rushed from the ring and helped Andy against the former MMA fighter. Karl and the New Day teamed together to gain an advantage on Owens and Joe as they tried to blind side the four men. As the three Bullet Club members finally began to overtake Jacen, Finn Balor slammed into Andy and they rolled down the ramp. "Not only has this volatile situation has imploded, Finn Balor has joined the fray!" Karl exited the ring and yanked Finn off of his leader before the two began striking away at him. In the ring, the New Day continued dominating Owens and Joe. Meanwhile, Jacen began to easily fend off Seth and Luke. Kofi caught Joe with a Trouble in Paradise as Owens was caught in a front powerslam face buster. Andy super kicked Finn before Karl rammed him into the ring post.

Jacen rammed Luke headfirst into the barricade before slamming his shin into the side of his skull. Jacen turned around as the other three members of Bullet Club and New Day descended on him. Jacen tried to fight the six men off, but couldn't divide his defense evenly among them and was quickly trying to protect his body as they assaulted him. Big E and Karl dragged Jacen up and held him in place by his arms so Kofi could hit another Trouble in Paradise. The two men released Jacen and he stumbled around into a Super Kick from Andy. Xavier and Seth picked Jacen up and rolled him into the ring with Owens and Joe. Then, the two teams turned on each other.

Andy hit Big E with a Super kick while Kofi caught Karl with a Trouble in Paradise. Seth and Xavier began fighting with each other as Andy and Kofi traded blows. Seth sent Xavier head first into the steel stairs, knocking them away from the ring post. He quickly turned and ran to help Andy fight Kofi. "And here comes Smackdown's Jordan Sterling!" Michael Cole spoke as the man ran down the ramp. "Maybe he can restore some order between his friends here on Raw!" Jordan shoved Seth and Andy away from Kofi. Seth and Andy stood shoulder to shoulder as Jordan checked on the New Day member. Andy stepped forward and grabbed Jordan's shoulder, causing him to spin and strike out at him. Horror washed over his features as Andy hit the ground. "Jordan just accidently punched Andy!"

"I don't think that Seth thinks it was an accident!" Corey responded as Seth plowed into Jordan, knocking him off balance. Kofi went for a Trouble in Paradise, but Seth dodged away. When Kofi landed on his knees, Seth pulled him up and dropped him back down with a Pedigree. When Seth got back to his feet, he was met with a high knee from Jordan. Jordan looked around at the nine men laid out around the arena before he shook his head. He turned his back to the scene and quickly made his way backstage.

"I can't believe what we just witnessed." Michael Cole spoke in slight shock.

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." The camera panned around into it caught the three blacked out figures quickly moving through the crowd.

"And I don't think it's over now. There's the new Shield that Andy and Seth were talking about earlier tonight." The three men cleared the barricade and slid into the ring. Joe had just found his way to his feet before he was on the receiving end of a Superman Punch. Jacen pushed himself to his feet before he was curb stomped back to the mat. Dean pulled Kevin up before driving him to the mat with a Dirty Deeds. They looked around before all three slid from the ring. As Xavier stirred, Dean and Roman picked him up and rammed him back into the stairs. Karl was picked up where he was driven down with a cutter. Big E used a barricade to pick himself up before Roman speared him. Dean picked Luke up before slamming him to the ground with a headlock driver. Kofi was picked up as Roman roared before Dean and the third member placed him on Roman's shoulders. They Triple power bombed him onto the ramp. Then, the three turned their sights on Seth. The quickly began stomping away at him before Dean pulled him up. Seth tried his best to fight as he was lifted onto Roman's shoulders before he was Triple power bombed on top of Kofi. Andy stared at the three men as he sat against the barricade with the three men forming a semi circle around him. They moved forward. Then, they jumped over the barricade and walked back through the crowd.

"I... don't believe it. They left Andy alone. But they laid waste to everybody else out here!"

"If I were Andy I'd start writing my thank you letter right now."

Backstage, Byron rushed after Andy with a microphone in his hand and a camera man close beside him. Andy knocked everything over in his path and pushed people away from him. "Andy! Andy!" Byron called, causing him to pause before turning around.

"What do you want? Can't you tell this is a bad time for an interview?"

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to get some thoughts from you on what happened out there."

"What happened?" Andy questioned angrily. "What happened? You saw what happened! Jordan came down the ramp and I ended up getting sucker punched by him! He's my brother. And I'm sure it was an accident. But the fact that it seemed a little suspicious that I got punched by him and Kofi didn't, well that rubs me the wrong way. And afterwards, KO Joe, New Day, Bullet Club, everybody got laid out by Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and their new buddy. Everybody but me. Don't ask me why either. I'm waiting for somebody to tell me." Andy walked away from Byron, who opted not to follow after him as Andy violently through a catering table across the room.

Jordan sat with his back against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest as Becky tried to calm him down. "Jordan, everything's going to be okay. You didn't mean to hit Andy. You said it yourself, you thought it was Seth. Just go talk to him and you can patch it up. Andy will understand. You two are like brothers."

"I can't. I went looking for him earlier. I ran into Bayley and she said he left. Grabbed his stuff and told Foley he was going home. He won't pick up his cell phone either. I don't know who I'm madder at right now. Andy for joining this stupid little group of his or Kofi for having to confront him about it."

"Hey Jordan." Kofi spoke as he appeared around a corner. "I just wanted to say thanks for coming out to help me. And that punch you gave Andy, oh man that finally shut him up."

"You're welcome for me saving you, but let's get one thing straight. I didn't know it was Andy. If I had, I wouldn't have punched him. This is why I didn't want to be stuck between you two! I begged both of you not to do this! And you both promised me you wouldn't let it get out of control! Well you know what, I probably just lost my best mate because you two let it get out of control. And if I don't get over being pissed at you soon, I might lose that friendship too."

"Look man, I'm sorry-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear it." Jordan spoke as he pushed off the wall. "Tell your teammates that if they're in the ring in the Rumble with me to stay the hell away from me. Because if I get anywhere near Bullet Club or the New Day I'm going to hurt them." Jordan walked down the hall with Becky close behind as Kofi stared after him with a solemn expression.

"Hello everybody, and thank you for tuning in to see Smackdown's Live!"

"Excuse me, Jordan." Renee Young spoke as Jordan walked by with a duffel bag on his shoulder. Jordan paused before turning to her. After a moment of silence, he raised his eyebrows in impatience. "Oh, sorry. In light of what happened last night, how does that change your game plan right now?"

"It doesn't." Jordan spoke with a shrug. "You know, I've said it time and time again. I don't want to get in between Bullet Club and New Day. For the exact reason of last night. I've left probably hundreds of messages on Andy's phone. And despite it all, he's not here tonight. You know, Andy's my best mate, and I keep replaying the him hitting the ground after I hit him. Me. The person he trusts the most. If you can't trust your brother, who can you trust? That's how he feels and I know it. So I'm going to go out there tonight, move up in the Rumble and then I'm going to win it this sunday. The only difference is, if I see Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Big E Langston or Xavier Woods... hell if I see them or Seth Rollins around me at any time, I'm going to hurt them. We went from me and my brothers Kofi and Andy fighting the Wyatt family to all three of us with are backs to each other. And it's their fault." Jordan stared Renee for a moment before he looked to the side.

"Congratulations on that punch you gave Mercier. Wish it had been me." Jacen spoke with a smirk as he stared at Jordan. "I was off to the side, and I couldn't help but overhear how you said you were going to win the Royal Rumble. I have a news flash for you. Just like our match tonight, I'm going to win the Royal Rumble. Because people like you-"

"Let me guess, have arms to short to box with god, right? I have a news flash for you. You're not a god. You're a guy who's been laid out by the same three men two weeks in a row." Jacen frowned at the words.

"I'll see you out in the ring. Try not to get knocked out too quickly." Jacen brushed past Jordan who stared after him before shaking his head. Jordan continued his track through the hall to the men's locker room, leaving Renee by herself in front of the camera.

Jacen emerged from the gorilla position into a spotlight with his head down so his hood covered his face to Over and Under. He slowly lifted his head and removed his hood. Then, he gave an elbow strike and uppercut before walking down the ramp. He paused at the end to look around the arena. He jumped onto the apron and glanced at the crowd as they booed him before shaking his head. He entered the ring before lifting his arms and extending his index fingers. He lowered his arms before cocking his right forearm like a gun. Then, he pointed at the entrance. Over and Under bled away into You're Going Down.

Jordan walked out into darkness. With the light rose, he stared down intently at Jacen, who now pointed at him. He came to his knee and gave his signature yell of "One man enters and one man leaves!" Before walking down the ramp. He too stopped at the end, to stare into the camera before jumping on the apron. He ran the ropes and tapped the last turnbuckle he reached before throwing his shirt to the crowd. Then, he entered the ring and took his corner as the referee glanced back and forth. Then, the referee called for the bell.

Jordan and Jacen moved forward. Jacen sent a strike to Jordan that was deflected. Jordan retaliated with a kick that Jacen brushed away. Jacen went for a Tornado Kick, but Jordan pulled his head back just enough for it to miss. Jacen's feet hit the mat and Jordan planted his knee into the man's abdomen. Jordan went for an elbow to the face, but Jacen twisted away. Jordan struck out at him, but Jacen deflected his arm. Jordan went for another strike, but Jacen wrapped his arm around Jacen's and pulled up before jerking him down and slamming his fist into his face. Jacen went into a ground and pound position. Unlike his previous fights, few of his strikes got through and Jordan was able to get some of his own in. Jacen clenched his jaw as he walked in a circle while Jordan got back to his feet. Jacen struck out with a kick that Jordan ducked under. Jordan popped up with an upper cut that caused Jacen to stagger backwards. Jordan made a jab of his arm, but Jacen grabbed his arm and brought him to his knees and one hand with the intention of slamming his knee into his elbow. Hiwever, Jordan rolled across the mat and broke his hold. As Jacen came after him, Jordan caught him with a hip toss.

Jordan went into a ground and pound position, where few of his punches got through and Jacen was able to get some in as well. Jordan broke away when the referee told him to. Jacen rolled to his feet. Jordan came for him, but Jacen kicked him in the abdomen. Jacen rushed forward to finish the Bodyguard Combo, but Jordan ducked down under it. Jordan went for a high knee, but Jacen dodged to the side. Jacen caught Jordan in a Scissor Takedown before attacking his skull. Jordan shoved Jacen away where he bumped into the referee. Jacen swung, seemingly on instinct, and elbowed the man in the side of the face, sending him to the mat. Jordan moved forward before Jacen slammed his palm into his throat. Jordan stumbled back, coughing and hacking before Jacen hit him with a Thpouk Kang Soam. "Come on, how underhanded can you be?" Cole questioned as Jacen placed his knee on Jordan's throat and began pushing down. He laughed as the fans booed and put his arms over his face.

Jacen prepared to pull Jordan into a Triangle Choke while holding the ropes when he felt a body slam into his own. "And look out, it's the Shield!" Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and their new partner stomped away at Jacen. Jacen tried to fight back, shoving the mystery man away and punching Dean in the face before he was speared by Roman. Dean picked the man up before driving him to the mat with a Dirty Deeds. Jacen bounced off the mat and he was hit with a curb stomp. Roman gave a roar as Jacen was dragged to his feet before he was slammed to the mat with a triple Powerbomb. The three men quickly hit the mat and rolled out of the ring as the referee began to stir. Jordan slowly pulled himself to his feet before moving to Jacen. He picked the man up before delivering a powerbomb. "Tea time! And Jordan put a cap on Jacen!" Jordan watched the Shield retreat through the crowd as You're Going Down played.

"Yeah, but he definitely owes the Shield a little bit. That's the third time they've attacked Jacen Knight in a week!" Jacen exited the ring with a shake of his head and made his way backstage.

"Jordan!"

"You already asked me questions one tonight. Is it really necessary to do it again?" Jordan asked tiredly as Renee approached him with a sheepish look.

"I'm sorry. It's just, the Shield just interfered in your match and helped you win. Last night, they waited until you left to attack. What with everything going on some people might think you're in cohorts with the Shield." Jordan stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"I have not spoken to them, and I don't know their third member. I don't know why they interfered in my match, and I don't know why they're doing anything they're doing. I didn't want to be part of Bullet Club or The New Day. Why would I want to be part of the Shield? I'm not looking for a team. I'm looking to win the Royal Rumble. That's it." Jordan nodded his head before heading off down the hall.

At ringside, the fans cheered as Meteor echoed throughout the arena. Brianna appeared on top of the stage. She waved to the crowd before she walked down the ramp. She entered the ring and grabbed a microphone as she waved the Shaka sign to the fans. When her music ended, she spoke. "So last week, Shane McMahon made the announcement. At the Royal Rumble, I'll be facing Asuka and Becky Lynch for my title in a triple threat match. Asuka, I don't know a lot about you. I've never faced you in my career. I know your reputation. I know you're respected, even by Andy Mercier who helped train me. I hope you live up to my expectations. Becky, we've fought twice. You've gotten the better of me twice. You took the WWE Women's Championship from me, and I failed to get it back from you. This sunday, don't expect it to happen again. Expect me to go in with my title and come out with it." Brianna turned and watched as Becky made her way down to the ring to Celtic Invasion by CFO$. Becky smiled at her as she walked past to get a mic, the fans cheering loudly.

"Brianna, I respect you." Becky spoke, causing Brianna to bow her head slightly with a smile and a 'thank you'. "And you're one of my best friends, and one of Jordan's friends. You're like family. But you know that when the bell rings you leave those feelings behind. I've been chasing that feeling I had with the WWE Women's Championship since Charlotte took it from me. And I'm pretty sure that the only way I'll reach that feeling is by taking your Smackdown Women's title. I love you Brianna. But even though you are walking in as Champion, I plan to walk out as the New WWE Women's Champion!" The crowd cheered happily at her words and Brianna nodded her head.

"I respect that. That's one of the reasons I like you so much, you have the same fire in your soul for this business that I do. That's why you're the Lass Kicker! Sunday though, I'll be the one kicking your Lass." Becky smiled at these words and laughed.

"We'll see about that, won't we, Miss Hawaii Five 0?"

"We sure will." Brianna returned as she extended her hand. "May the best woman win." Becky accepted her hand and they shook on it, before The Future by CFO$ overtook the speakers and Asuka stepped out onto the stage.

"Brianna... Becky..." Asuka spoke as she looked down to the ring. "I watch you two on Smackdown. You are... good wrestlers. But you don't have what it takes to beat me. NXT, I was only beaten once. I will be Smackdown Women's Champion, and I will hold the title... forever."

"I hope you can prove those words, Asuka." Brianna spoke as Becky nodded.

"Aye. My friend Bayley was the one to beat you, and I'm looking to be the second woman to lay you down. I'll give you the Lass Kicking you'll never forget."

"We will see." Asuka returned as Smackdown faded to commercial.

When it returned, the camera panned around until I Came to Play by Downstait blared loudly. The crowd booed as the Miz made his way down the ramp with Maryse close behind him. He entered the ring and impatiently yelled at an official until he gave him a microphone. "Cut my music!" Miz yelled angrily. "And all of you shut up! I said shut up!" The crowd booed the wrestler loudly as his face turned red. "Last week, some no name guy who thinks he's what wrestling is all about because he's hardcore came out and ran his mouth! And because of Daniel Bryan, the type of guy you people cheer even though he's retired after he promised you he'd come back while I've been here for over ten years, has given him a title shot at me this Sunday at the Royal Rumble! Really?

"I'm so glad that guys just get to come in this business and demand whatever they want and then they get it. When I first came here, that's not how that worked! I had to scratch and claw to get to the top and then when I got there no one cares! No, shut up! You people are hypocrites! I have put just as much into this business as Andy Mercier has, but he deserves to be champion because he wrestled in bingo halls in front of five people while I was here carving my legacy, right!? Hypocrites! You are all hypocrites! I can't stand-"

Tattooed Attitude played as Matthew Rodriguez walked out onto the stage wearing a black hooded leather jacket with white tribal angel wings with a tribal cross in the middle stitched on the back, a black wife beater, dark blue baggy jeans and tan steel-toed boots. Without his mask on, it was revealed that he had a small beard growing on his face. "Miz, please, just shut up. In your little fantasy world, I'm sure you think that you should be considered the best wrestler to ever step foot in that ring. But you're not.

"I didn't just show up and demand a title shot. I've worked my whole life to get here. You know, I was an ECW Champion. That holds weight around here. Because to be ECW Champion you put your body on the line day in and day out knowing that you're going to hurt yourself. That's what any champion should be, and you don't even come close, Miz. You want to talk about Daniel Bryan? Jordan Sterling? Andy Mercier? Those three men are the definition of what this all means! They have risked their bodies every single day of their lives to get here, to get the opportunity to be champions, to be in front of these people! And so have I. Sunday, I'm going to prove to you that you're nothing but a high pitched, sniveling little coward when I take your Intercontinental Championship away!"

"I like to see you do that! Hey, don't you walk away from me! I am the Miz, I am the Intercontinental Champion, I am the WWE! Get back out here! You're a hypocrite! You want to call me a coward, but you don't even have the guts to come back out here! You're running away!" Matthew paused before he disappeared off the stage and turned to angrily stare at the Miz. "That's right! I never run away! I'm the one who lives by John Cena's code, not him! I never quit! I never give up! I never run away, no matter who it is that-"

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo , Lima , Delta... Shield." Special Ops played and the camera panned around wildly until it landed on the three men as they jumped the barricade and surrounded the ring.

"Watch what you say, Miz!" Jerry called with some elation. "Because your words might come back to bite you!"

"No, we're not doing this!" Miz yelled as the three men climbed onto the apron. "Not again! This is because of you isn't it!? You're the one putting them up to this!" Miz called angrily at Matthew as the Shield entered the ring. Maryse tried to get Miz to flee before she left him alone. "Yeah, it all makes since! They debut the same time you did and you and this little Seth Rollins knockoff are wearing almost the exact same vest! Coincidence!? I think not!" The Shield moved forward and Matthew watched as they beat Miz to the ground before he spoke.

"Great detective skills Miz." He stated sarcastically. "But I'm not part of the Shield. You ever think they just don't like you just like everybody else here? I do know that so called Seth Rollins knockoff personally though. We were in Ring of Honor together. And trust me, he's no knockoff." Miz stood to his feet where the third member of the Shield kicked him in the gut before delivering a stunner. Miz bounced up and turned into a spear from Roman. The two stood back and watched as Dean picked him up before delivering a Dirty Deeds. Matthew shook his head as the Shield slowly vacated the ring to allow Maryse to check on her husband.

"I'll see you Sunday Miz." Tattooed Attitude played as Matthew walked backstage and the Shield made their way through the crowd.

Matthew walked through the hall and grinned as he saw Becky Lynch talking to Jordan who was leaned against a wall. "Well if it isn't my favorite Lass kicker!" Becky turned with a grin and hugged him as he came close.

"Matthew! It's been a while. Matthew, this is my boyfriend Jordan Sterling. Jordan, this is my Surrogate brother, Matthew Rodriguez, aka Hardcore R!" Matthew shook Jordan's hand with a smile.

"It's great to meet you. I thought people like you and me were a dying breed until you and Andy popped up."

"Yeah, well Andy and I aren't on talking terms right now, mate." Matthew frowned as they retracted their arms.

"Yeah, I saw Raw last night. It was pretty obvious you thought Seth was grabbing you though. I'm sure it'll all work out."

"It's easy to say, but the truth is a little harsher. When you think your brother turned on you, it hurts. I'm going to patch everything up with Andy, I just don't know how yet."

"You'll figure it out." Matthew replied as he patted Jordan's shoulder. "I mean, you're Hardcore Jordan. You brought hardcore back, I'm sure a little apology won't escape you." Jordan chuckled at the words.

"Hopefully not. We're heading out to get something to eat. Do you want to come?"

"Oh, no. I don't want to intrude." Matthew returned causing Jordan to smile.

"You won't. And you can tell me about that match you had with Matt Hardy. It's the one Becky tells me the most about."

"Matt's psycho." Matthew responded as they began walking down the halls. "I Remember kicking out of a pin, and he started screaming at me that if I didn't stay down, he was going to bite my face off."

Back at ringside, the fans looked at the Titantron as it flickered to life. They cheered as a camera showed the feet of three men before someone picked it up. "Dean Ambrose." The man spoke as he looked into the camera before passing it off.

"Roman Reigns." Roman passed the camera off to their third member who had his hood up and his balaclava over his face. He pulled the Balaclava down to reveal his face and the crowd cheered.

"Jax Austin. Seth Rollins is right. We're not the Shield of old. We don't have the same goals as that Shield did when they first showed up. We are a Shadow that has been cast over the WWE. We are a Shadow of justice that has been dealt. We are a Shadow of where we come from, and past mistakes. And when we're done here, we will be the Shadow that everybody has to climb out of when they try to make a name for themselves." Roman took the camera from Jax and stared into it.

"Believe that." The Titantron went black as the crowd began chanting 'We believe!'.

"Hello everybody and welcome... to the Royal Rumble!"

Brianna took a deep breath as she stood by the gorilla position. Asuka was already in the ring and Becky Lynch was making her way down to it. Celtic Invasion died away and there was a brief pause before Meteor began playing. Brianna burst through the curtains. She smiled as she posed on stage before unstrapping her title from around her waist. She lifted it into the air and waved the Shaka sign before she made her way down the ramp. She entered the ring and handed her title off to the referee, who held it up for the crowd to see. The referee walked back to his place and called for the bell. The three women began looking around at each other, waiting for someone else to strike.

Becky was the first to move, rushing after Asuka. She leaped into the air do deliver a leg lariat but Asuka ducked down. Asuka lashed out with a kick that slammed into the side of Brianna's head as she drew close. Brianna stumbled to the side as Asuka turned around. Becky smashed her forearm into the woman's face multiple times, fighting her backwards. Asuka shoved Becky away and kicked Brianna in the abdomen. Her elbow slammed into Becky's face before she hit Brianna with multiple back fists, knocking her to the mat. Asuka turned around into a Japanese arm drag from Becky. Asuka was back to her feet quickly and was dropped by a running forearm from Brianna. Brianna dropped a knee down onto her face before rolling away. As Brianna popped up, Becky caught her with a pump handle suplex. "Oh, Lass Plex early on!" Becky turned around and was kicked in her abdomen by Asuka. Asuka bounced off the ropes and hit Becky with a flying hip attack. She gave a yell and turned around before she was hit with a flying hip attack from Brianna. Brianna pulled Asuka to her feet and bounced her off the ropes before catching her with a forearm. Becky caught Brianna with a back kick. Becky pulled Asuka to her feet and Irish whipped her into the corner. Becky followed after her and slammed a forearm into her face before hitting a corner springboard side kick. Becky turned around into a Kick from Brianna who set her up for a lifting single underhook DDT, but Becky twisted out of it.

Asuka hit Brianna with a running knee and Brianna fell to the mat. Asuka stood to her feet and was caught in a pump handle suplex from Becky. Becky looked around excitedly as the fans cheered. She hit the ropes and came back into a flying hip attack from Brianna. Brianna launched herself into the air and brought her knee down onto Becky's face. Becky held her face and rolled away while kicking her feet. Brianna made to follow after her, but Asuka caught her with a few kicks to the back of her leg that made her come down to one knee. Asuka moved to the front of her body and delivered multiple kicks to her chest as the crowd chanted 'Yes!' Before she kicked her in the side of the head. Brianna's head whipped to the side and she hit the mat. Asuka turned and was caught with a front missile dropkick from Becky. Becky rolled across the mat before popping to her feet. Asuka jumped back up and was caught with an Exploder Suplex.

Asuka rolled across the mat, and Becky slammed her forearm into Brianna's face as the champion picked herself up in the corner. Brianna stumbled forward into a Japanese arm drag. The champion hit the mat before she was pulled to her feet. Brianna pushed Becky away and delivered a few forearms to her face before Becky kneed her in the stomach. Brianna doubled over and was Irish whipped into the ropes. When she came back, she hit Becky with a forearm. Brianna turned and hit Asuka with a spinning heel kick before turning and catching Becky with a lifting single underhook DDT. "Kelly Maneuver! And now she's going to follow up with the Melanie Rose!" Michael Cole exclaimed as Brianna locked in a Bridging Muta Lock. Becky yelled in pain as she tried to fight out. When it looked like she was going to tap, Asuka grabbed Brianna by her hair and pulled her to her feet by her hair and tried to lock in the Asuka Lock. Brianna escaped by grabbing the top rope as Asuka dropped back. When Asuka stood again, she was caught in the lifting single underhook DDT.

"And another Kelly Maneuver!" Phillips commentated. Brianna turned around and was caught in a pump handle suplex. "Lass Plex! And the Champion is in trouble! Asuka is down and she is locked in the Dis-Arm-Her in the middle of the ring!" Brianna cried out as she tried to drag herself to the bottom rope. She dug her nails into the mat and clawed in an attempt to escape. Asuka stirred and lifted herself up using the ropes. She looked at the situation and seemed like she was about to kick Becky in the skull when the bell rang. Brianna had tapped. Becky released Brianna who held her arm in agony as Asuka looked around with an angry expression. Asuka left the ring and shook her head as Becky retrieved the Smackdown Women's Championship.

"Here is your winner, and NEW Smackdown Women's Champion, Becky Lynch!" Becky helped Brianna to her feet and gave her a smile. Brianna laughed and pulled Becky into a hug. The crowd cheered as the two female wrestlers raised each other's hands while the Royal Rumble went to commercial.

I Came to Play echoed through the arena as the crowd booed. The Miz stepped onto the stage with Maryse behind him. He looked around the arena with a disgusted look before he made his way down the ramp. He handed his title to the referee, who held it as Miz's music became Tattooed Attitude. Matthew walked onto the stage with his arms outstretched and his head down. He quickly squatted down and slapped his hands on the stage before popping back up with his hands made to look like guns. He walked down the ramp slapping hands with fans before he placed his Tattooed Attitude necklace onto a small child. He slid into the ring and climbed to the second rope and threw of his hood. He raised his arm into the air before back flipping off of the ropes. He turned around to face Miz as The referee held the Intercontinental Championship high. The referee then passed it to an official before calling for the bell.

Miz and Matthew broke out of their corners and began circling each other. Matthew made to lock up, but Miz feigned away. The crowd booed as the Miz shook his head before coming back around. It looked as if they were about to lock up when Miz feigned away again. The Miz laughed as the crowds booing grew louder. He walked back to Matthew who lashed out and caught him by the back of his head before slamming his knee into his gut. The Miz doubled over as the crowd cheered. Matthew threw Miz into the ropes and he grabbed the top rope to keep from bouncing back. Matthew shook his head and walked forward, where Miz slapped him in the face. Matthew's head snapped to the side, and the Miz moved forward to punch him before Irish whipping him into the corner. Miz followed after for a clothesline, but Matthew moved out of the way. Miz hit the turnbuckle and stumbled back holding his chest. Matthew jumped into the air and hit a backbreaker. Miz rolled across the mat, and Matthew went for a cover. Miz was able to get his shoulder up at two.

Matthew pulled Miz to his feet, and Miz jabbed his thumb into Matthew's eye. Matthew stepped back, and Miz hit a dropkick to his knee. Matthew went to one knee and Miz drove him face first to the mat with a DDT. The Miz moved away, and when Matthew made his way back to his feet, Miz caught him with a running knee lift. Matthew stumbled back and Miz pulled him into a inverted face lock backbreaker before following up with a neckbreaker slam. Miz stood to his feet and walked in a circle around Matthew with a smug smirk on his face as the fans booed him. Miz's face grew red as they began chanting 'You're not awesome!'. "Shut up!" Miz screamed as he leaned on the top rope. "You should all be cheering me! I'm your Intercontinental Champion!" Miz turned around into a running knee lift of Matthew's own. Miz stumbled into the ropes and Matthew threw him to the ropes on the opposite side of the ring. When Miz came back he was caught in a spinebuster. Miz arched his back in pain as Matthew popped up and spread his arms out wide while yelling to the fans. He received a pop in return as the fans began a chant of 'Kick his ass!'.

Matthew pulled Miz to his feet and kicked him in the abdomen, forcing him to double over. Matthew went for an Impaler DDT, but Miz wormed his way out before dropkicking his opponents leg out from under him. As Matthew attempted to get back to his feet, Miz caught him with a knee to the side of the skull. The crowd booed again as Miz bent over and yelled at Matthew while pointing to himself. Miz picked the number one contender up and Irish whipped him into the corner. He followed after with a running corner clothesline. Miz threw Matthew out into the middle of the ring and walked around with a strut. Matthew stood to his feet and was pulled back into a Full Nelson Face Buster. "Skull Crushing Finale!" Phillips cried out as Miz went for the pin. "Is that it!? No! Matthew kicks out!" Miz yelled angrily at the referee as Maryse yelled from ringside. Miz stood to his feet with his jaw clenched. He climbed the turnbuckle and yelled at Matthew as he waited for him to get up.

When Matthew stood up, Miz jumped from the top rope and was caught with an Impaler DDT. "And now an Original Sin!" Michael Cole exclaimed in excitement. "Now that was awesome!" Matthew went for the cover, but the referee was distracted as Maryse climbed on the apron and yelled at him. Matthew stood up and walked to them as he yelled at Maryse in turn. The referee tried to diffuse the situation when Matthew felt himself being pulled back. He elbowed Miz in the side of the head, and the man stumbled through the ropes to ringside. Miz came to his knees and looked around in a daze. When he stood to his feet, Matthew launched himself over the top rope with a suicide dive. They crashed to the ground and the crowd cheered when Matthew popped back up. He pulled Miz up and threw him into the ring. Matthew slid in after him, but Miz rolled back out. Matthew stared after him angrily as Miz held his neck and dismissively waved his arm as he walked up the ramp while the referee counted. "What's he doing? I think Miz is trying to take the easy way out here!" Matthew placed his hands on his hips. Just as he was about to leave the ring and run after Miz, Roman Reigns walked onto the stage.

"Oh my!" Cole called as Reigns stared into Miz's horrified face. "That's no easy way out now!" Roman began walking down the ramp as Miz backtracked down the ramp. He made to jump the right barricade, but Dean Ambrose now stood in the way rolling his arm and neck. Miz put his hands out in front of him before turning to go for the left barricade. He stopped again as he found Jax Austin with his balaclava over his face blocking his way. Matthew laughed at Miz and pointed his hand like a gun at him as Roman now stood at the end of the ramp, the three men blocking all escapes. Miz turned and rolled into the ring. He stared at the Shield as he walked backwards, walking directly into a Blue Thunder Powerbomb from Matthew. "Eye of the Storm!" Matthew went for a pin and Maryse was kept from the apron as the Shield stood in front of her. The crowd cheered wildly as Tattooed Attitude played. "Here is your winner, and NEW Intercontinental Champion, Matthew Rodriguez!" Maryse yelled angrily at ringside as Matthew retrieved the Intercontinental Championship. He held it high and turned around to find the Shield now in the ring. Matthew took a deep breath as they stared intently at him and seemed to be getting ready for a fight.

Jax reached up and removed his Balaclava as he stared at Matthew. He gave a slow nod to Matthew before motioning for him to get out of the ring. Matthew didn't need to be told twice and exited the ring as Roman Reigns gave a violent roar. The crowd cheered loudly as the Miz was hoisted onto Roman's shoulders for a Triple Powerbomb. "And the Shield again making themselves known to Miz here tonight." Phillips spoke as the Shield connected their fists together while Special Ops played and the Royal Rumble went to commercial.

Andy rolled his shoulders as Finn Balor made his way down the ramp to the ring. "Hey, mate!" He heard an urgent voice and turned to find Jordan making his way over to him. "Wait up! I've been looking for you everywhere! You haven't been in the men's locker room."

"Bullet Club has its own locker room now." Andy responded simply.

"I've been trying to call you all week. I-" Andy raised his hand to stop Jordan as Seth made his way to the ring to his own theme music, Second Coming.

"I know. I've seen the playback, I get it. You thought it was Seth or somebody else in all the confusion. That doesn't change the fact that I got punched by you for Kofi. You're my brother, Jordan. I love you. I don't want to lose you as my best mate. But when you go out there tonight... watch your back. Because the Bullet Club... they're not going to have it for you. I got to go." Andy turned and walked through the Gorilla position as One for the Money began playing. He walked onto the stage in his white gear and a Bullet Club tee shirt with his belt strapped around his waist. He came to one knee before popping up with a cry of "Strong Style Shooter!". He walked halfway down the ramp before stopping and kitting his arm with his hands like guns as the crowd called "Bullet!". He turned around and did it again to "Club!" He leaped onto the barricade as the the camera zoomed in on him. He called out "Bullet Club 4 Life!" Before dropping to the ramp. He made his way down the rest of the ramp before jumping onto the apron. He climbed the turnbuckle and did his Hangman's Draw. He unstrapped his title and threw his shirt to the crowd before he dropped into the ring and handed the title to the referee who held it high. The referee passed it off to the outside before calling for the bell.

Andy and Seth immediately descended onto Finn and began beating him down. "And right off the bat! That's going to be a key factor here tonight. Two of the three men in this triple threat title match are members of the Bullet Club!" Seth pulled Finn up and Andy super kicked him before Seth threw him to ringside. The two Bullet Club members stared at him before looking at each other. They gave nods and began circling each other. Seth and Andy locked up before Andy wrenched Seth's arm behind his back. Seth stumbled forward before whipping around and jumping in the air. He kicked Andy in the side of the head, causing him to stumble to the side. Seth followed after him before Andy caught him with a kick to the gut. Andy bounced off of the ropes and went for a flying Yakuza kick, but Seth dodged to the side. Andy made his way back to his knee and Seth caught him with a knee to the head. Seth turned and was caught with a dropkick that sent him flying across the ring and into a corner. "And Finn Balor is now back in this!"

Finn rushed forward and hit a hesitation dropkick on Seth. He popped to his feet and was caught with a flying Yakuza kick from Andy. Andy dropped a knee down onto Finn's face and he and Seth began stomping away at the man. Andy dragged Finn to his knees before Finn punched him in the jaw. Finn tried to make his way to his feet, but Seth caught him with a super kick. Finn fell to the mat and Andy shoved him back to ringside with his foot. Andy turned around and shook his head before he and Seth locked up again. Seth pulled Andy into a headlock but Andy drove his elbow into Seth's side. Seth held his side as he stumbled away before Andy caught him with a step up Enzuigiri. Seth's head snapped to the side before he came to his knees. Andy bounced off the ropes and came back for a shining wizard, but Seth ducked down underneath it. Seth popped up and hit Andy with a drop kick. Andy hit the mat and Seth hurriedly climbed the turnbuckle. As he reached the top, Finn jumped onto the apron and slammed a chair into his back. Seth arched his back as the crowd screamed before he fell into the ring. "And Finn with an equalizer! Remember folks, that is legal here in this match!" Finn entered the ring, and slammed the chair into Andy's head as he stood to his feet. Finn turned around and planted the chair into Seth's back again as he tries to get up. Finn flipped Andy over onto his back and placed the chair on his chest before he went to the top rope. "He's not doing what I think he is, is he!?"

Finn went for a Coup De Grace, but Andy rolled away with the chair. Finn stumbled as he tweaked his knee. Andy launched the chair at him, and Finn caught it before it was super kicked into his face. Finn hit the mat as Andy turned around before Seth kicked him in the gut and pulled him in for a pedigree. Andy flipped him over his his body and onto his back. Seth came to his feet before he was caught in a straight jacket back breaker. Andy flipped him over his body and bridged it into a crossface. "Show no Mercier! Is Seth going to tap!?" Andy pulled back violently on his partner. Seth seemed about to tap when he realized he couldn't reach the bottom rope before Finn slammed the chair into Andy's head again. Andy rolled away and lay on his back as Seth held his neck. Finn made his way to the top rope again and hit the Coup De Grace on Andy. He rolled away and made to come to his feet, he was caught with a curb stomp. Finn's body twisted and he landed on his back. Seth sat on his hands and knees before coming to his feet. He made to pin Finn when Andy super kicked him from the body. Seth's body fell away as Andy covered Finn. The crowd cheered as One for the Money began playing again. "Here is your winner and STILL WWE Universal Champion, Andy Mercier!" Andy stood to his feet and took his title from the referee before helping Seth to his feet. The man grimaced at his loss before smiling and congratulating Andy. The two patted each other on the shoulder and made their way up the ramp to the backstage while the Royal Rumble went to commercial.

"Alright everybody, I hope you're ready for our main event, the Royal Rumble! Thirty men enter and one man leaves with the choice to challenge the WWE Universal Champion or the WWE Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania."

Jordan took a deep breath as the seconds ticked away. He was the eighteenth entry in the Rumble and the seventeenth had just entered a short while ago. After a few tense moments of anticipation, Jordan heard the buzzer signaling the next entry and You're Going Down began playing. Jordan burst threw the curtains and stared into the ring as he made his way down the ramp. Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, Luke Gallows, Xavier Woods and AJ Styles were in the ring. Jordan slid in and immediately target Luke. He slammed his fist into the side of the man's face as he stomped away at Heath Slater. Luke stumbled to the side before he was caught with an uppercut. He fell back into the corner and struggled as Jordan tried to lift him over the turnbuckle and drop him to the floor. AJ picked Heath up off the mat before heath punched him in the face. AJ's head whipped to the side before he chuckled and grabbed Heath by the back of the head and launched him over the top rope to ringside. AJ turned around into a dropkick from Xavier Woods before Jinder Mahal caught him with a running elbow. Luke elbowed Jordan in the side of the head, forcing him to release him and stumbled back. Luke went for a clothesline on Jordan, who ducked down underneath it. Xavier caught Luke with a dropkick as the buzzer blared again. Flames shot from the stage and all the superstars stopped fighting each other to turn and watch as Kane made his way down the ramp. As soon as he stepped over the ropes, everyone rushed toward him and began punching away at him. "And here's the mentality of the Royal Rumble! Get the big guy outta here!" Kane threw everyone away from him, and when Jordan came back he was caught with an uppercut.

Jordan stumbled back before Luke caught Kane with a big boot. Kane went to the side and Xavier chased after him. Kane wrapped his hand around Xavier's throat before choke slamming him to the mat. Kane closelined Luke before Jordan caught him with a high knee. Kane stumbled back into the ropes before Jordan grabbed his leg and tried to flip him over. AJ and Jinder Mahal also grabbed Kane's legs and helped him as the buzzer sounded and Kofi Kingston made his way down. Kane struggled against them but was eventually flipped over onto the apron. Jordan caught him with another high knee, knocking him to ringside. AJ grabbed Jinder and tossed him over the ropes where they began trading blows as Luke grabbed Jordan from behind and tried to flip him over the ropes and eliminate him. Jordan struggled as Kofi slid into the ring and hit a Trouble in Paradise to the back of Luke's head. Luke stumbled as Jordan hit the apron and rolled back in. AJ caught Jinder with a Pele kick that sent him to ringside.

Kofi pushed Luke against the ropes, but Luke caught him with a stiff shot to the jaw that caused him to stumble away. AJ pushed Jordan into the corner and kneed him in the abdomen as the buzzer blared and Voices by Rev Theory began playing. Randy Orton made his way down to the ring as Jordan shoved AJ away and hit him with a running elbow. Xavier kneed AJ in the face as he came to his feet. As Randy got on the apron, he pulled the top rope down and pulled Xavier over and to the ground before he entered the ring. Luke and Randy attacked Kofi together as AJ and Jordan began trading blows. AJ gained the upper hand on Jordan by kicking him in the knee before he punched him back against the ropes. AJ stepped back before rushing toward Jordan. Jordan bent down and grabbed AJ's leg, sending him over the rope and to the floor. "And Jordan has eliminated the Phenomenal AJ Styles!" Jordan made his way to the other three and caught Randy with a hip toss. He ducked under a clothesline from Luke as the buzzer sounded. Kofi caught Luke with a Trouble in Paradise as Jordan looked at the stage as Over and Under began playing and Jacen began making his way down the ramp. Randy grabbed Jordan from behind and tried to throw him over the ropes, but Jordan twisted away and caught him with a high knee. Randy spun and landed on his hands and knees before Jordan punted him in the head.

Jordan turned around into a Bodyguard Combo from Jacen. Jordan hit the mat, and Jacen dodged out of the way of a Trouble in Paradise before catching Kofi with a Thpouk Kang Soam. Kofi hit the mat, and Luke rushed at him. Jacen picked Luke up on his shoulder and dropped him to his back at ringside, eliminating him. Jacen turned around into a spear from Jordan, who roared as he popped to his feet. The buzzer sounded and Kevin Owens briskly made his way down the ramp. Jordan met him head on as he entered the ring, both men trading blows. Kofi slammed into Kevin, causing him to stumble to the side before Jordan rammed his knees into the man's face multiple times. Kofi turned around into an RKO from Randy Orton. Jordan spun and threw Owens shoulder first into Randy's abdomen. He turned and was struck with a Tornado Kick from Jacen who stared down at him angrily. Karl Anderson made his way down to the ring to Shot'em as the next entry was signaled. Owens and Jacen teamed up on Randy, beating him to the mat. Karl slid into the ring as Kevin laughed and slapped Jacen on the shoulder. Jacen elbowed him in the side of the skull and threw Kevin over the ropes. Karl immediately attacked Kofi as Jacen turned around into a vicious jab from Jordan. Jacen stumbled to the side before Jordan was turned around by Randy and hit with an RKO. Randy popped to his feet and went for another one on Jacen, but Jacen shoved him away. Kofi shoved Karl away and pulled down on the top rope, allowing Randy to sail over the top rope to ringside.

"Oh my god! Randy Orton has been eliminated!" The buzzer sounded and Big E Langston barreled down the ramp as Karl tried to throw Kofi over the ropes. Jacen pulled Jordan to his feet and punched him in the jaw, causing him to stumble to the side. Karl released Kofi as Big E plowed into him. Big E picked him up over his head before Karl dropped to his feet and shoved him forward into Kofi. Kofi bounced off the ropes and hit the mat. Big E turned around and was hit with a big boot that sent him stumbling back into the ropes where Karl clotheslined him to the outside. Jordan shoved Jacen away and caught him with an elbow to the jaw as Karl was hit with a Trouble in Paradise. The buzzer sounded and Rhyno rushed down to the ring as the crowd cheered. Jacen head butted Jordan, causing him to stumble away before he turned around into a gore from Rhyno. Rhyno yelled as he stood to his feet. A lifting knee from Jordan sent him to the mat with Jacen. Jordan speared Karl as he and Kofi fought with one another. Kofi stumbled back into a corner as Rhyno and Jacen stood to their feet. Rhyno punched Jacen on the face before Jacen slammed his shin into the man's head. The buzzer sounded and Kalisto came running down the ramp. He slid into the ring and bounced off the ropes before hitting Jacen with a dropkick. Rhyno made a grab for him, but Kalisto dodged away and jumped into the air and kicked Rhyno in the skull. Rhyno went to one knee and Kalisto dropkicked him in the head. Jordan was shoved away by Karl before Karl clotheslined him to the mat.

Kalisto jumped through the air again and planted his knees into Jacen's chest. Jacen wrapped his arms around Kalisto's body before dropping him over the top rope. Jordan was pulled to his feet by Karl before Kofi caught Karl with a missile dropkick. Rhyno rushed at Jacen who kneed him in the face while the buzzer sounded and Zack Ryder rushed down the ramp. Zack slid into the ring and was hit with a Bodyguard Combo from Jacen. Jacen turned and was gored by Rhyno. Kofi threw Karl against the ropes and began trying to flip him over to ringside. Jordan walked to them and seemed like he was going to help. Then, he grabbed both men's legs and flipped Kofi and Karl over the ropes. "Jordan just eliminated Kofi!"

"He told Kofi that the New Day and Bullet Club shouldn't get near him! All members of the New Day and Bullet Club have now been eliminated!" Jordan turned around as Rhyno rushed at him before delivering a high knee to him. Rhyno hit the mat as the buzzer sounded and the stadium roared as John Cena rushed down the ring. John immediately caught Jacen in the Lou Thesz Press before he began hammering away at him. Zack, who'd been to the side, caught Cena with a boot to the head. Cena fell away off of Jacen as Jordan pulled Rhyno to his feet and began pushing him over the ropes. Zack began stomping away at Jacen before Jacen shoved him away and caught him with an elbow to the face. Zack stumbled to the side and Jacen grabbed him and flipped him over the ropes. Zack held on and flipped to the apron before the two began trading blows. Rhyno hit the outside ground and Jordan leaned tiredly on the ropes as Cena punched Jacen in the back. The final buzzer sounded and the crowd cheered as Big Cass made his way to the ring. Zack punched Cena in the face. Cena punched Zack back and the exchanged blows until John elbowed Zack in the face and sent him to ringside. Jacen grabbed Cena by his ankles and flipped him over the rope.

"And now John Cena's eliminated!" Big Cass entered the ring and was immediately hit with a high knee from Jordan. He stumbled to the side where Jacen caught him with a Bodyguard Combo. Cass fell back into the corner where the two other remaining men of the Royal Rumble began punching away at his abdomen. Cass head butted Jordan and shoved Jacen away before hitting him with a big boot. Big Cass turned into a spear from Jordan, who rolled to lay on his back. Jacen stood to his feet and glanced between the two before pulling Big Cass up and shoving him against the rope. Jacen struggled to get Big Cass over the ropes, and when he finally did he landed on the apron. Big Cass tried to reenter the ring, but Jacen caught him with a knee to the face, sending him to the ground as the crowd booed. Jacen turned around and was caught with his own signature Bodyguard Combo from Jordan. Jacen's body went straight and he fell against the ropes before Jordan grabbed his legs and flipped him. The crowd roared in approval as Jordan fell to his knees while You're Going Down played. Jordan pounded the mat with a yell before he popped to his feet with a yell. "Jordan Sterling does it! Jordan Sterling came in at number eighteen and he wins the Royal Rumble!"

Jordan climbed the turnbuckle as confetti fell from the ceiling, pointing to the Wrestlemania sign and to himself. "I'm going to Wrestlemania!" He called happily as the Royal Rumble faded from the air.

XXX

Wrap. There you go. Chapter 34, now my longest chapter. Even longer than chapter 30. So, we now know who the third member of the Shield is, I'll give info on him in a second, the situation between New Day and Bullet Club with Jordan in the middle has imploded, Brianna has lost the Smackdown Women's Championship to Becky Lynch, Matthew Rodriguez has temporarily shut Miz up by becoming the Intercontinental Champion, Shield is running over a select few people, Andy had retained his title but Seth almost had it and Jordan has won the Royal Rumble. Until next time guys, thanks for reading.

Oc time

Real Name: Jackson Steve Austin

Ring Name: Jax Austin

Hometown: Victoria Texas

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 217 IBS

Skin Color: Tan

Appearance: Has black hair with the sides shaved forming a Mohawk out if the hair on top of his head, tappering of into a point at the nape of his neck. The top of his hair is dyed burgundy red. He has blue eyes, darker on the outside and transitioning to a lighter blue.

Ring Attire: tactical fingerless black gloves. Black tactical vest with a cloth black hood. Black cargo pants tucked into black combat boots.(To be changed)

Entrance Attire: Entrance Attire with his hood up. Half face mask with a lower skull printed on it, with elongated canines.

Street Clothes: Venum tee shirts, faded blue jeans, sneakers.

Tattoos/ Piercings: Has one tattoo on his spine between his shoulder blades. It is a small circle with a sword hitting the top, disappearing and reappearing through the bottom. It has three lines coming off of the circle to form small wings.

Personality: Sarcastic, rebellious, typically anti authority, wild card

Wrestling Style: Brawler, High Risk

Taunts: Flipping his opponent off, yelling at them after a stunner, pounding the mat, Stalking his opponent from the corner

Signatures: Lou Thesz Press, Elevated DDT, inverted headlock backbreaker, diving high knee, suicide dive, Pele kick

Finishers: Stunner(Stone Cold Stunner/Stunner), Various Cutters(Stone Cold Cutter), Curb Stomp(Mercy Falls)

Manager: None

Theme Song: As Shiwld member Special Ops, solo Glass Shattering into Voices (Instrumental) by Rev Theory

Entrance: As a member of Shield he exits through the crowd. By himself: He walks onto the ramp and pauses at the top to stare at the crowd. He walks down the ramp and jumps onto the apron. He stands there holding the top rope before entering. He gets on the second rope and lifts his hands into fists. He lowers his hands and stares at the crowd before flipping them off with his right hand.

Titantron&Minitron: Various matches and close shots of Austin on titantron, Minitron has Austin 3:16 shattering into a skull.

Relationships:N/A undecided

Accomplishments:

3x ROH Tag Team Champion

2x ROH Television Champion

3x ROH World Heavyweight Champion

Extra info: The son of Stone Cold Steve Austin

Bio: Jackson Steve Austin, nicknamed Jax, was born in Victoria Texas and is the son of Stone Cold Steve Austin. He loved wrestling from a young age, especially with his father's continued influence and involvement in it throughout his life. Jackson would decide early in life that he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a professional wrestler. Though respectful as a child, he was very rebellious

Trained by his father first, Jax would also train under Randy Orton. Jax would sign onto Ring of Honor, where he spent the majority of his career. He debut as Sportsmaster, a play on his father's own Ringmaster. As Sportsmaster he would become a three time ROH Tag Team Champion in a team called the Sport Runners. The team never really got over as Jax couldn't connect with fans. He would go on to win the ROH Television Championship before vacating it a month later due to injury to his elbow.

Jax would return the following year in a battle Royal to determine the new number one contender for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship, redebuting as Jax Austin. Jax would win the Rumble and would connect with the audience by sticking to his own personality, very much like his father's own. He would go on to capture the ROH World Heavyweight Championship and held it eight months before losing it. He would turn his focus to the Television championship and reclaim it. While Television Champion, he would also reclaim the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. After holding the ROH Television Championship for five months, he would lose it cleanly. He would retain the Heavyweight Championship by using a chair on his opponent, turning heel. He held onto the main championship for a year and three months before losing it. He would form a shaky alliance with the Bullet Club and would attempt to capture the Tag Team titles again with Karl Anderson. However, when the Bullet Club interfered to help them win, Jax would turn on Karl and cost them the match, turning him back face. He would go against the Bullet Club and take the ROH World Heavyweight Championship away from them before vacating it a few months later when his contract expired and he opted not to resign.

He would come close to signing a deal with New Japan, but after someone stated how much more athletic he was in the ring than his father, he cut negotiations, finding it disrespectful to a Wrestling Hall of Famer. He considered returning to ROH when he was contacted by the WWE. After some negotiations and encouragement from his father, Jax would sign with the WWE.


	35. Chapter 35

Blitzkrieg 1.14

"Welcome to Monday Night Raw, we are one day removed from the Royal Rumble, and was that a sight to see or what, Corey?"

"It sure was. Bayley retained her Women's Championship, and Andy retained his Universal Championship. Sami Zayne captured the United States Championship and Bullet Club finally ended the New Day's record setting Tag Team title run. Most importantly though, Smackdown's Jordan Sterling won the Royal Rumble. He now has the opportunity to challenge either the WWE Universal Champion or the WWE Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania."

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began playing as the crowd began cheering.

"And it looks like we'll be starting tonight off with a little bit of the Bullet Club!" Seth Rollins stepped out onto the stage before making his way down the ramp.

"Actually, it looks like it's just Seth Rollins right now. That's a little bit odd." Seth entered the ring and grabbed a microphone. He lifted his hand into the Too Sweet hand sign as Shot'em ended before he spoke into the mic.

"I came close last night." Seth spoke as he ran a hand through his hair. "You know, it was chaotic. Andy and I teaming up on Finn, Finn beating us with chairs, Andy and I fighting with each other. And I came close. When I curb stomped Finn I thought I had the match in the bag. And then I was super kicked and it was over. I'm not mad because Andy won. That's the nature of the game. No, I'm out here for one reason. Andy, I've been with you in the ring twice man. You beat me for my title and you got the better of me last night. You're a great wrestler.

"I have no doubt you'll go down in history as one of the greatest performers to ever set foot in this ring. But so will I. I have something to prove Andy. I have to prove that I can beat you. And it doesn't have to be for the title. It doesn't have to be a pay per view. It just has to be you and me so I can finally prove that I have what it takes to beat you!" There was a pause before Shot'em began playing again. Andy walked onto the stage with his title sitting on his shoulder. Luke and Karl were behind him with the tag team titles strapped around their waists.

"Seth, I get where you're coming from mate." Andy talked into a microphone as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I do. I mean, for the proof go on the WWE Network and watch the lead up to Shinsuke Nakamura and my match. I needed to beat him, by myself, cleanly. The problem is, we weren't a unit. Bullet Club is. If I accept this match, there's no way we can coexist. Each of us will be trying to prove something to each other. Our egos won't allow us to coincide. We may very well rip the Bullet Club in two." Andy paused before smiling down at Seth. "Nevertheless, next week I'll face you one on one. You're family now Seth. I won't take something like this away from you." Seth nodded in response and exited the ring. He walked up the ramp to join the Bullet Club before all four men exited the stage and went to the back.

Andy lead the Bullet Club through the halls, Seth close beside him. He stopped as he came face to face with Jordan. The Bullet Club moved to surround him but a raised hand from Andy caused them to fall back. "Jordan." Andy spoke with a nod. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the Royal Rumble winner, mate." Jordan responded evenly. "I have free reign between both shows until I officially challenge one champion or the other." Andy reached into his jeans and produced a pack of gum before placing a piece in his mouth. "But mainly, I want to talk to you. Alone."

"Forget it." Seth spoke as he finally stepped forward. "You think we're just going to leave Andy here alone after you sucker punched him last week?"

"Calm down." Andy spoke as he pointed down the hall. "You three do what you always do and stay close by. Kofi's not around so I'm not too worried about getting punched."

"You need to let that go." Jordan spoke as the other three members of Bullet Club reluctantly walked down the hall. Andy chuckled as he chewed on his gum.

"That's easy for you to say. You aren't the one that got punched, now are you? I'm not the one who punched you for somebody else."

"Do you want to hit me, Andy?" Jordan questioned as he stepped forward. Andy refused to back down. "Go ahead. One free shot. Male it count though, because it's the only one I'm giving you." Andy's jaw clenched as he stared at Jordan.

"If I'm going to punch you, you won't see it coming." Andy shot back. "Just like I didn't see it coming."

"You said you didn't want that to ruin or friendship. Where's the Andy that was looking for a tag team partner to fight the Ascension?"

"He got knocked out of me last week." Andy spoke as he ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want to lose you as a friend Jordan. But until you've proved to me that you still are my friend, I suggest you go hang out with New Day." Andy began to walk away when Jordan placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I owe my win from last night to you, you know?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I want to be on your level. From the moment I first met you, I knew, from that day forward that I needed to stay on your level. I haven't had a main event Championship yet. You have. I have to catch up to you. That's what pushed me to win." Andy stood in silence before he pulled away and began walking to meet up with Bullet Club.

"If you choose me as your opponent, just know that I will do everything in my power to keep this title on my shoulder." Jordan watched his friend walk away with a shake of his head before he went in the opposite direction.

"Welcome to Tuesday night Smackdown, and what a Royal Rumble we had!" Phillips spoke as Jerry nodded.

"Oh boy was it! Cesaro retained his WWE Heavyweight Championship, the Miz got shut up by Matthew Rodriguez who won the Intercontinental Championship, with a little help from the Shield, Becky Lynch won the Smackdown Women's Championship and Jordan Sterling won the Royal Rumble!"

"We're now going to Renee Young who is backstage in the interview area with Matthew Rodriguez." Renee Young smiled as she stared into the camera. Beside her, Matthew Rodriguez stood in his leather jacket, his wife beater, dark blue baggy jeans and tan steel-toed boots.

"I'm here with the New Intercontinental Champion, Matthew Rodriguez." Renee spoke as Matthew adjusted the title sitting on his shoulder. "Matthew, can you tell me what it's like for you to win the Intercontinental Championship? Especially on what was essentially your in Ring debut for Smackdown?" Matthew rolled his shoulder before speaking.

"It's not so much winning the Championship as it is finally shutting the Miz up and giving the fans what they wanted. It didn't have to be me. It could have been anybody as long as the fans were finally given a champion who is willing to put themselves on the line to put on the show they're looking for every night. But for me to win the Intercontinental Championship on my debut. It was an amazing moment. One that I'm very proud of and I look forward to giving the fans the champion they deserve."

"Last week, when the Shield attacked the Miz on Smackdown, you said that you knew their third member personally. That member was later revealed to be Jax Austin, the son of Stone Cold Steve Austin. A lot of fans are wondering how exactly you two know each other?" Matthew made to speak, but paused. The fans cheered as Jax stepped into the cameras view with his hands hooked into the neck of his vest.

"You must not be a regular viewer of Ring of Honor." Jax spoke to Renee who nervously shook her head. "Relax, I'm not going to do anything to you Renee. Dean would have my head. I'm just here to see an old friend." Matthew nodded in response.

"Jax and I were in Ring of Honor together but he was going by the name Sportsmaster. One day I see him talking to Stone Cold and I think, well I have to go over here and meet him. Turns out Jax was Stone Cold's son."

"We made a team together, the Sport Runners. Or the SOBs whatever the fans called us. We were three time ROH Tag Team Champions together." Jax added as he kept his hands holding his vest. Jax stared at Matthew and glanced to his Intercontinental Championship. "And now here we are in the WWE together." There was silence before Renee spoke again.

"Right. And because you debut roughly at the same time, and you both have targeted Miz, people think that Matthew is in cohorts... with the Shield." Renee trailed off slightly as Jax looked at her.

"What the Shield does is the Shields own business. We don't answer to anybody. We do what we think is necessary when it's necessary how we think it needs to be done. Until someone has proof that Matthew and the Shield are working with each other I think it's best to let that rumor die." Jax and Matthew glanced to the side. The crowd booed as Miz and Maryse entered the camera view.

"Really? Let it die? After you and your two buddies came running out during my match and cost me my title to this idiot, I know there's something fishy here. And I'm going to get to the bottom of it. So how do you like that? I'm going to get to the bottom of this and expose all of you. And there's nothing you can... do about... it..." Miz trailed off and Maryse fled as Roman Reigns appeared beside Jax and Dean Ambrose stepped up behind Miz. "Come on guys, let's all just cool down." Jax stepped forward and placed his hands on Miz's shoulders.

"What?" Miz swallowed nervously as the crowd cheered.

"Words have been said."

"What?"

"People have been attacked."

"What?"

"Titles have been cost."

"What?" Miz took a deep breath as Jax chuckled. "That's annoying isn't it?" Matthew poked his head over Miz's shoulder and spoke.

"Think about what you say before you say it. Remember whose son he is." Miz gave a nervous laugh to try to diffuse the situation.

"Not, not at all!" He spoke with a stutter. Jax chuckled as his hold on Miz's shoulders grew tighter.

"Miz. You're about the sorriest piece of trash I've ever laid my eyes on. You should've stayed way the hell over there where I saw you peeking around the corner like the coward you are. Cause now, I'm going to hurt your sorry ass." The crowd cheered in the arena as Matthew patted Miz's back with a mockingly solemn expression.

"Tough break buddy. Hey, I'll see you around though! Maybe I can be the guest on your stupid Miz TV." Jax shook his head at these words.

"Nah, after we're done with him, he won't have a face for TV anymore." Matthew looked at the three Shield members before he backed away off camera. Miz took a deep breath, looking as though he were about to throw up, before he tried to speak. Roman punched him in the face and Miz stumbled to the side. In an instant, all three members were viciously attacking the former champion as Renee Young ran away. Jax grabbed Miz's head and slammed it into the monitor behind them, cracking it. Turning, Miz's head slammed into the camera filming the assault. Miz hit the concrete next to the camera as it cut in and out. Three pairs of hands reached down and dragged Miz out of the cameras view before the camera went black.

The crowd cheered as Celtic Invasion by CFO$ began playing. Becky Lynch emerged onto the stage with her new title strapped around her waist. She bounded down to the ring and slapped hands with the fans before entering the ring. Becky grabbed a microphone as her music died and smiled at the fans. "This... This is amazing!" Becky exclaimed, causing the crowd to cheer in return. "After I lost the WWE Women's Championship to Charlotte I felt that there was a feeling that I just couldn't ever reach again. And I chased that feeling every second afterward until I won this. The Smackdown Women's Championship! Oh, I'm on top of the world! The only thing on my mind now though is, who will be the first I defend my title against." There was a pause before Meteor started playing. The crowd cheered as Brianna walked out onto the stage and down the ramp. She entered the ring and shook the Shaka sign to the fans with a smile as she was given a microphone.

"First of all, I want to say congratulations to the new Women's Champion, Becky Lynch!" Brianna called and clapped her hands as the fans cheered. "I went into the Royal Rumble as the champion and I really believed that I was walking out as the champion. But last night you proved that you are without a doubt one of the greatest female wrestlers to ever set foot in the WWE. That being said, you've beaten me three times with a championship on the line each time. It makes me feel... as cliché as it is, like I have something to prove." Becky smiled at these words.

"I don't see how you'd feel like that. I mean you come into the ring each week and put everything you have into every match. I think it's safe to say that you have become the face of the Smackdown Women's Division." The fans cheered at these words and began a chant of 'Hawaii Five 0'.

"No matter if that's the case or not, I'd like to be the first one to challenge you for the chance to win the championship back." Becky made to respond when The Future by CFO$ overtook the speakers.

"Brianna." Asuka spoke as she walked onto the stage. "You were the one who lost the match. I should be the one to challenge for the Smackdown Women's Championship."

"Well, I think that I should be the one to challenge considering I was the champion. And if you think you should be the number one contender, maybe you should come down to the ring and we can settle it right now." The crowd cheered at these words. They cheered louder when Daniel Bryan appeared on the screen.

"Ladies, I think you both may have points to be made. So let's make it official. At Fastlane Brianna Kelly will face Asuka. And the winner will go on to face Becky Lynch for the Smackdown Women's Championship... at Wrestlemania." The fans cheered at these words as Brianna nodded. Asuka stared down at the ring and smiled as Smackdown went to commercial.

"Hardcore R!" Becky called as she walked backstage. Matthew paused in his own track and turned before smiling at the Smackdown Women's Champion.

"Hey Becky. Congratulations on your win." He spoke as he pointed to her title. She smiled with a nod before tapping Matthew's own Intercontinental Championship.

"Thanks. You too. So, I saw what happened earlier tonight. Listen, I know that you and Jax have history together and you're friends but you might want to be careful."

"What do you mean?" Becky took a deep breath and looked around before talking.

"I've seen what groups like Shield bring with them. I'm witnessing it first hand with Jordan and Andy. Bullet Club is tearing them apart. I don't know if you're involved with the Shield and I don't want to. But if you are, I would cut the ties." Matthew laughed and gave Becky a half hug.

"You worry too much."

"You sound like Jordan."

"We're both wise men."

The fans began cheering as You're Going Down played. Jordan walked out onto the stage and looked around the arena before smiling. He walked down the ramp and made his way into the ring where he retrieved a microphone. "One week ago I stood in this ring and said that I was going to win the Royal Rumble. I said that I was going to go on to Wrestlemania. I'm a man of my words, and Sunday I won the Royal Rumble! The question now is who I'll be facing at Wrestlemania. Will it be Andy Mercier for the WWE Universal Championship or Cesaro for the WWE Heavyweight Championship?" Jordan paused and then looked up the ramp as Over and Under began playing. Jacen walked onto the stage with a microphone in his hand.

"You must be pretty happy, huh?" Jacen spoke as he walked down the ramp.

"What were the words Becky used? I'm on top of the world!" Jordan returned as he smiled. "But you must be pretty down. After all, last week you were telling me that you were going to be the one to win the Royal Rumble."

"I don't like to lose, Jordan." Jacen shot spitefully as he entered the ring. "Not only do you have a victory over me because of a sneak attack by three men, you have a fluke victory over me by eliminating me." Jordan smiled at these words.

"It was down to you and me at the Royal Rumble. Now, you can give all the excuses you want, but I won because I was the better man. As far as those three go, I don't know them personally. Hell I've never talked to any of them for more than five minutes. But with the way you were fighting last week, I thought what they did was pretty funny." Jacen stared darkly at Jordan before he spoke again.

"I owe you the beating of your life. Now, if that happens tonight, or next week, at Fastlane or after your match at Wrestlemania, I'm going to get payback on you, Sterling. And I'm going to make it hurt."

"Is that right?" Jordan questioned as he stepped forward.

"That's right. I'm going to hurt you, Jordan. I'll show you what it means to be up against a true fighter." Jordan gave a chuckle as he stepped close to Jacen.

"Name the time and the place. I'll be there any day to whip your ass." Jacen smirked at these words.

"Fastlane. The stipulation is simple. You have to Knockout your opponent. You know, like you tried to do your buddy, Andy?" Jordan frowned at Jacen who raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Did I strike a nerve? That's right, you don't have a buddy named Andy anymore because you turned on him, didn't you?"

"Shut up."

"Punched him straight in the jaw. Poor 'lad', you people say that right? Probably had his heart broken." Jordan lashed out and punched Jacen in the jaw. Jacen hit the mat holding his mouth and Jordan shrugged down at him.

"I told you to shut up, wanker. I'd worry about your jaw too. It's a lot softer than Andy's heart." Jordan dropped his microphone on Jacen and exited the ring. Jacen glared up the ramp after him as Jordan disappeared backstage while Smackdown faded to commercial.

When Smackdown returned, Tattooed Attitude played and the crowd cheered as Matthew walked down to the ring. He slapped hands with the fans before entering the squared circle and taking a microphone. He made to talk before pausing with a laugh as the fans began a chant of 'You deserve it!'. "Let's be honest, there are a lot of people in the locker room who deserved this more than the Miz. You all deserve a champion who worries more about putting on the best show he can for you all each and every night as opposed to talking as much crap as he can about everybody." Matthew nodded as the fans cheered. "Unfortunately, because he was the Intercontinental Champion, he does get his rematch for the title." The crowd booed at these words and Matthew gave a solemn nod. "I know, I know. It is what it is though. You know, I'm a little impressed. I mean, I know Jax and the Shield got ahold of Miz earlier tonight, but I was really expecting Miz to shake it off and come out here to run his mouth."

"Awesome!" Matthew turned to face the ramp as I Came to Play began blaring through the speakers.

"Sorry, spoke too soon." Everyone watched as Miz walked onto the top of the stage with a slight stumble before he fell to his knees. Everybody looked on in confusion. The man's hair was disheveled, the shirt he wore was torn and there was a gash open above his left eye.

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." Jax walked out onto the stage behind Miz with Dean and Roman close on either side of him. Jax held a microphone in hand and waved it side to side as he bobbed his head to Special Ops. Miz tried to come to his feet, but Jax kicked him in the back of the head, causing him to fall to the metal.

"Hardcore R." Jax spoke into his mic.

"Bad Luck Austin." Matthew returned with a nod. "Who do I owe for your appearance?" Jax smirked down at the ring.

"Well, this isn't the old Shield. We're a little more hospitable." Jax paused as the crowd chanted 'What?' After each of his sentences. "Yeah, you can go ahead and cut that crap out. I'm not my dad and I'm not going to pause after every sentence so you all can say what. Anyway Matt, since certain people want to speculate that you're in cohorts with the Shield, I'm out here to make an announcement of my own." Jax slowly placed his microphone down.

Matthew watched as Jax and Dean lifted Miz up onto Roman's shoulders before he was Triple power bombed off of the stage through a table. Jax stared down at Miz's unmoving body before he regained hold of his microphone. "Unless you have proof that the Shield is working for somebody, concrete evidence that proves the accusation without a shadow of doubt, keep your mouth shut." Jax passed the microphone off to Roman as he made his way backstage.

"Believe that." Roman gave the microphone to Dean and followed after Jax.

"Watch your back if you have a target on it. You may not know who you are, but we do. And target number one has been dealt with. If you've done something that you think may have caught the Shields attention, I'd start asking myself if I'm next. Because you'll never see us coming." Dean dropped the mic and followed off after the other two members of the Shield. Matthew vacated the ring and walked up the ramp as officials came to check on Miz. Matthew peeked over the edge of the stage and shook his head.

"Hey Miz, you ok down there?" Matthew asked as he dangled his legs over the edge of the stage. "Because it looks like you hit some serious bad luck." Smackdown faded to commercial Miz stared up at the ceiling in a complete daze.

XXX

Wrap. As always, the night after the pay per view is altercation heavy. Not much to say. Just kind of moving on to Fastlane so we can begin the countdown to Wrestlemania. Until next time guys, thanks for reading.


	36. Chapter 36

Blitzkrieg 1.15

Andy sighed as he sat with his elbow on his knee and his face in his hand while chewing gum. He was waiting for his match with Seth. He hadn't seen the other members of the Bullet Club all day, for various reasons. Karl had gotten sick, and bother he and Luke were given the night off. Meanwhile Andy and Seth had agreed not to meet with each other until after their match to keep things civil. The message had been relayed to him, however, that if Seth beat him he would get a shot at the United States Championship held by Sami Zayne at Fastlane. "Deep thought?" A familiar voice asked. Andy glanced up and smiled as he found Bayley staring down at him.

"Hey." He spoke with an upbeat town. Ever since bringing Bullet Club together it seemed like he got to be around Bayley less and less. He loved the Bullet Club, but it was nice not having them by his side every second. "How are you doing stranger?" Bayley smiled at his question.

"Good. Nervous. Sasha is going to get to challenge for my title soon. Maybe Fastlane, but it could be Wrestlemania. She's a phenomenal wrestler." Andy gave the woman a half smile as he stood to his feet. Her hair wasn't in its ponytail and Andy brushed in behind her ear.

"Not as phenomenal as you." Andy returned. Bayley laughed at these words and looked away.

"So, I know Bullet Club isn't really here tonight, and I was wondering... Would you want to go out? Like we used to?" Andy stared down at Bayley before smiling and pulling her into a hug.

"I'd love to."

"And here we go with Seth Rollins vs Andy Mercier!" Michael Cole called as Second Coming played through the arena. Andy waited backstage by the curtains as his fellow Bullet Club member made his way down to the ring. His music died away and Andy waited until One for the Money began playing. He burst through the curtain wearing his black gear and a black leather jacket with a hood and his title strapped around his waist. He reached up and removed his hood from his head before slowly lowering his arms to point his hands at Seth like guns. Andy walked down the ramp and paused at the end. He lifted his right arm up to "Bullet!" Before lifting his left to "Style!". He jumped onto the apron before climbing the turnbuckle and doing his Hangman's Draw. He unstrapped his belt and took off his jacket before handing them to an official outside. Andy stared at Seth as his music died before his music died.

The two wrestlers broke out of their corners and began circling each other. They slowly moved forward to lock up and began struggling for dominance. They broke away and circled each other again before locking back up. Seth pulled Andy into a headlock, but Andy shoved him away. Andy wrapped his arms around Seth's waist before Seth flipped him over his shoulder. Andy rolled and came back to his feet before lashing out with a kick. Seth caught it and made to elbow his leg but Andy pulled his leg back. Seth stumbled forward into a headlock before he twisted out and wrenched Andy's arm. Andy pried his arm fried and kicked at Seth who dodged away before going for a dropkick. Andy pushed his legs to the side before bouncing off the ropes and coming back for a Yakuza kick. Seth rolled away and went for an Enzuigiri as Andy ducked down. Seth pulled to his feet and doubled over as Andy kicked him in the gut. Andy pulled him in for a DDT, but Seth twisted out. A kick caused Andy to double over before he was dropped by a DDT of Seth's own. Andy rolled away holding his face before Seth stomped on his chest. Andy sat up before he was kneed in the face. Andy clutched at his nose before Seth pulled him to his feet. Seth hit a suplex before following up with a Falcon Arrow.

Seth went for the cover, but Andy quickly kicked out. Seth made to pick Andy up, but Andy pulled him into a small package. Seth broke the count and stood to his feet only for Andy to plow his knee into his gut. Seth stumbled forward before Andy caught him with a running Bulldog. Seth rolled over onto his back and Andy lightly bounced off of the ropes before walking forward and dropping his knee into Seth's face. Face thrashed as he rolled away before coming to his feet. Andy grabbed Seth's arm and Irish whipped him into the corner before following after for a Stinger Splash. Seth dodged to the side and Andy crashed into the turnbuckle. Andy held his chest as he turned around before Seth forced him up onto his shoulders and power bombed him into the corner. Andy held his neck as he fell forward before pushing to his knees where Seth caught him with a super kick. Andy hit the mat and Seth went for the cover. Again Andy was able to kick out of the pin. Seth grabbed Andy by his head and dragged him to his feet before Andy shoved him away. When Seth regained his footing he was caught with a super kick.

Seth hit the mat and Andy climbed the turnbuckle before going for a Coup De Grace. Seth rolled out of the way before popping to his feet. Andy turned and was caught with a Sling blade. Seth took Andy's place on top of the turnbuckle before hitting a frog splash on Andy. Both men held their abdomens before Seth crawled over to cover again. Andy placed his foot on the bottom rope, stopping the count. Seth slapped the mat angrily as he pushed himself to his feet before picking Andy up. Andy lashed out with a knee to the abdomen that caused him to bend over before he pulled Seth into an inverted DDT. "Andy with the Scorpion Death Drop!" Andy went for a cover, but Seth was able to get his shoulder up at two. Andy slowly picked Seth up for an Asai DDT, but was shoved away as he flipped through the air. Andy stood and was kicked in the abdomen. He bent over and Seth hooked him for a pedigree.

Andy twisted out and pulled Seth into a Pedigree of his own. "Pedigree! That could be it! This could be just like Roadblock!" Andy pushed Seth onto his back before pinning him. The referee began his count but stopped when he saw Seth's foot on the bottom rope. "Seth surviving on instinct here. And we're in one of those situations where these two are wondering how to put the other away." Andy pulled Seth up and locked his arm behind his back for another Pedigree. Seth hurriedly reversed by flipping Andy over onto his back. Andy arched his back in pain before rolling over onto his stomach. He pushed up off of the mat onto his hands and knees.

"Curb Stomp! Curb Stomp from Seth Rollins!" Corey called as Seth covered Andy. The crowd cheered as Second Coming played. Seth rolled off of Andy and the two men tiredly laid side by side.

"What a contest these two put on. Seth Rollins said he felt he had something to prove by beating Andy Mercier, and if that's true he definitely proved it here tonight." Andy lifted his arm off of the mat with his his hand in a fist. Seth lifted his own and placed his fist against Andy's as they laughed together while the crowd cheered.

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." Seth popped up into a sitting position as Andy tried to push up off the mat.

"Oh no, this doesn't look good for Andy and Seth! The Shield are here, they have the numbers game and those two are exhausted." Seth looked around from his position as Dean, Roman and Jax surrounded the rings apron. Seth shook his head and yelled at the men before they entered the ring. Andy pushed up to his hands and knees before Jax kneed him in the ribs. Andy fell back to the mat and Seth jumped up to attack Roman. He got a few shots in before Roman shoved him away. He was caught in a Dirty Deeds from Dean. Roman roared as Dean shoved Seth out of the ring with his foot.

"A Dirty Deeds to lay Seth out! And now the leader of the Bullet Club is in there alone with the Shield!" Andy pulled himself to his knees using Jax's pants. The Shield member stared down at him with a grimace as Andy stared darkly at him.

"Just know, I'm going to end your career for this." Andy shot at Jax who grabbed him by his head and pulled him to his feet. The two stared at each other before Andy lashed out and punched Jax. Dean and Roman were on him in a second and he was quickly returned to the mat. The three members of the Shield stalked around him before Roman roared. Jax and Dean placed Andy on Roman's shoulders before he was Triple power bombed. The Shield stared down at Andy before vacating the ring and making their way back through the crowd.

"Well, the last time Shield was here they left Andy alone. Tonight they laid waste to him." Seth slowly got back into the ring and crawled across the mat to shake Andy. The fans cheered as Bayley came running down the ramp to check on Andy. The crowd cheered louder when Seth and Bayley helped Andy to his feet where he looked around in a daze as Raw faded.

"Hello everybody and welcome to Smackdown Live!"

"I'm here with the Intercontinental Champion, Matthew Rodriguez." Renee Young spoke as the backstage camera panned out. "Matthew, last week it was revealed that you and Jax Austin not only know each other, you were former tag team partners and ROH Champions together. The Shield attacked the Miz and then continued their assault later that night when you were addressing the WWE Universe. Now-"

"I think I've let the rumors about me working with the Shield go on too long." Matthew spoke, causing Renee to quit talking. "I am not, and have not since my WWE debut, worked behind the scenes with any member of the Shield. Jax and I were partners. Yes. And we're friends. Yes. But I did not hire them to attack the Miz at any point, and I'm not part of them. I don't wear my vest as some sort of Allegiance to them. I wear it because it's my ring gear.

"Two months from now, if they're gone, I'll still be wearing my vest. I didn't show up for some hostile takeover. I Came here for the fans. To give them a fighting champion. Now, for whatever reason, Jax and I coincidently debut at the same time and he targeted the Miz with the Shield. I don't know why, and I can't say that I care."

"I care." A voice called and the crowd cheered as Jordan stepped on screen. Jordan lowered his head with a smirk as he rubbed his chin before he spoke. "I like Matt. I really do. You're a great guy, you're funny, Becky loves to have you around. And I look forward to having you around as a friend. But I have another friend. Someone that I'm a little at odds with right now. And he got attacked by the Shield last night. Now, this isn't Becky's boyfriend to Becky's brother. This is Jordan Sterling to Matthew Rodriguez. I need to know if you are working with the Shield." Matthew opened his mouth to respond but stopped.

Jordan's jaw clenched as he looked behind him to find the Shield standing in a Semi circle around him. Jax stood with his hands hooked in the neck of his vest. "I thought that I made myself abundantly clear last week. Unless you have proof that he's working with us, or anybody, just let it die. Now we're going to make an example out of you."

"Jax, don't do this." Matthew spoke, causing Jax to glance to him. "Just let this one go, man."

"I'd like to do that for you." Jax spoke with a chuckle. "I really do. But if I did that for you, then everybody would think the Shields in your pocket. And that's just not true." Matthew grimaced at these words and glanced to his title before dropping it to the ground.

"I don't care about Jacen Knight. I really don't care about the Miz. But I'm not going to let you three run over Jordan." Jax frowned at the words before giving a half shrug.

"I'll try not to hurt you too much, Hardcore."

"You better take me down with the first shot, Bad Luck." The Shield began to move forward bus stopped as hands grabbed their shoulders.

"Hey muppets, what are you doing." Andy Mercier spoke as the Bullet Club surrounded the Shield as they had done Jordan.

"You're on the wrong show." Jax spoke without looking over his shoulder.

"Am I? I was being lead to believe that it doesn't hardly matter. I mean, Dean is on Smackdown. Roman is on Raw. You don't even fit into the picture."

"We do what has to be done." Jax returned.

"Funny story about that. Last night I had a match with Seth here, you all know Seth." Seth smiled as he patted Jax's shoulder.

"Hey. I'm the guy you replaced."

"And when it was over, three blind Muppets came down to the ring and Triple power bombed me. Ring a bell? Don't answer that. You see, what happened last night didn't really feel personal after I sat down and thought about it. It was too... mercenary like. But, that bloke right there you were about to attack despite everything going on, well he's my best mate. And that makes this very personal." Jax glanced over his shoulder and chuckled at Andy.

"You going to let this happen, Hardcore?" Jax questioned Matthew who shrugged in response.

"You're my friend Jax. But you said it yourself. You're not in my pocket. And I'm definitely not in yours. I think it's best if we just keep this civil and everybody goes their own way." Jax chuckled as he moved forward.

"I don't back down from fights Matt. You know that." Jax glanced around before motioning with his head to Dean and Roman. "But this Fight happens... another time." The Shield backed away from the situation and disappeared down the hallway as the remaining men watched after them. Jordan glanced over to Andy.

"Thanks for coming."

"Finally got around to your messages." Andy responded with a shrug. "And I wasn't about to let what happened to me last night happen to you. We have some things to work out between us though. It's a matter of time before the New Day quit licking their wounds and come at us again. I'm not looking forward to that as much as I'd like to anymore." Jordan gave him a slight smile as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

"That'll get worked out when it has too. What happened to you won't happen again. And Matthew, I'm sorry about doubting you. I had to make sure." Matthew shook his head as he replaced his Intercontinental Championship on his shoulder.

"Don't sweat it." Andy raised an eyebrow at the Phrase and Jordan laughed as he placed his hand on Andy's shoulder.

"Andy, this is Becky's Surrogate brother, Matthew Rodriguez. Matthew, well you know Andy Mercier." Matthew nodded in response as he outstretched his hand. Andy stared at it before slowly taking it.

"It's great to meet you. You and Jordan are part of a wrestling breed I thought was dead." Andy glanced to Seth with a knowing look in his eyes before he shook his head.

"No mate, our breed isn't dying. It was just halted in the WWE, it's prevalent in the indies. Nevertheless, it's good to meet you too mate. In friend of Jordan's or Becky is a friend of mine. Until you punch me." Matthew laughed at these words. "Speaking of punches, nice one you gave Jacen last week." Jordan nodded in response before they heard Over and Under playing through the speaker. "Oh, speak of the devil."

Jacen walked down the ramp in a sleeveless Venum hoodie, white Tiger Muay Thai sweats and black sneakers. He rolled into the ring and gave a dismissive wave of his arm as the crowd booed him. "You can boo me all you want when I'm walking up the ramp but right now you need to shut your mouths. Last week, Jordan Sterling, you punched me dead in the face. Busted my lip. Now, if there's one thing I hate more than losing, it's the sight of my own blood. So, if you're half the fighter you say you are, why don't you come down the ramp and get in this ring with me because I don't really want to wait until Fastlane to knock you out anymore." Jacen stood in place, waiting until You're Going Down blared through the speakers.

Jordan walked onto the stage and stared down at Jacen with a shake of his head before making his way down the ramp. He climbed the stairs and entered the ring where he came face to face with Jacen as the fans cheered. "I notice that you like to run your mouth a lot, Jacen." Jordan spoke. "You like to talk about being a God. But I haven't really seen anything from you to back it up. Sure, you've won a couple matches. But you've lost a couple already too. You haven't won a Royal Rumble. Actually, now that I think about it, you haven't really won anything worth mentioning since you got here, have you?" Jacen clenched his jaw and chuckled.

"I'm glad you're able to keep what little pride you have left bottled up in you. I'm about to wipe it away, because your arms are too short to box with god. And God's about to strike you down." Both men dropped their microphones and got ready to throw punches.

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." Jordan spun around and looked into the crowd for the three blacked out figures. Jacen slammed into Jordan from behind. Jordan stumbled forward and turned before the two men began trading blows. The three members of the Shield made to jump the barricade when they were attacked by Bullet Club. Jacen slammed his fist into Jordan's face and turned around into a Super Kick from Andy. His body spun around and Jordan caught him with a spear. Andy and Jordan nodded to each other before they exited the ring and helped Bullet Club fend off the Shield.

"The numbers aren't in the Shields favor anymore! It's five on three and the Shield is high tailing it out of here!" Phillips called as he looked to his new broadcast partner, John Bradshaw Layfield.

"Oh please, that's called a tactical retreat!" JBL shot back as Jordan stood in the ring with Andy and his group. You're going down played through the arena as the Shield stared down at the five from the top of the crowd while Jacen retreated up the ramp.

Backstage, Matthew stood with his arms crossed over his chest with his title over his shoulder. "Good on them." Matthew spoke as he looked to Becky. "Jax will come back around, but if they can keep the numbers game out of the factor it'll be on more even ground." Becky nodded and made to talk, but screamed as Miz plowed into Matthew from behind.

"No Shield for you tonight!" Miz yelled as he slammed Matthew's head into the monitor he'd been watching. "How's it feel!? Not so funny now is it!? Get up!" Miz pulled Matthew to his feet as Becky screamed at him. He drove Matthew's skull down into the pavement with a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz breathed angrily as he stared at Matthew before he grabbed the Intercontinental Championship and held it to the side of Matthew's face. "At Fastlane, the never ending Intercontinental title reign returns." Miz threw the title down and stood to his feet as he looked at Becky.

"Just get out of here!" Becky yelled angrily as she pointed down the hall. Miz gave a mocking smile to her before he stomped away.

"Hey, Andy!" Brianna called happily as she noticed the Universal Champion passing the gorilla position from the Trainers room. He paused and glanced to her while chewing gum. "Still running your Bullet Club with authority I see."

"4 Life." Andy responded as he placed his hands inside the pockets of his leather jacket. "How are things going for you?" Andy questioned as he walked closer. Brianna smiled in response.

"Things are going good. I'm set on getting to fight Becky one on one and finally beating her." Andy chuckled at the words as he blew a bubble.

"That's wrestling. How about life outside these walls? I've heard a few rumors on the internet." Brianna gave a shy smile at these words as she brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Steve and I started dating." She responded.

"Hey! Good for you two!" Andy exclaimed as he pulled her into a half hug. "Maybe you can teach him how to say Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life. Saying it with NWO, no problem. But Bullet Club? Then I'm stuttering." Brianna laughed at his words before giving him a brief hug as she heard Carmella's music playing.

"I'll see you later, Andy. I have to go." Andy nodded and gave her a brief wave as she disappeared into the gorilla position. Meteor began playing and Brianna stepped out onto the stage. She waved to the fans with a smile and began making her way down to the ring. She entered the ring and took her corner as her music ended. The referee glanced between her and Carmella before calling for the bell. Brianna and Carmella moved forward before locking up. Brianna caught Carmella with an arm drag. Carmella popped back up and ducked under a spinning heel kick. She stood back to full height and slapped Brianna. Brianna stumbled to the side before Carmella kicked her in the stomach. Carmella dragged her in for a DDT, but Brianna twisted out of it.

Brianna hit Carmella with a spinning kick to the abdomen. Carmella doubled over before Brianna bounced off the ropes. When she came back, Brianna ducked down under a clothesline and bounced off the opposite ropes before launching herself through the air with a flying hip attack. Carmella hit the mat and Brianna waved the Shaka sign to the fans before dragging Carmella up. Brianna planted her foot in her opponent's abdomen, causing her to double over before she pulled her in for a lifting single underhook DDT. Brianna pushed Carmella away, however, as The Future began playing and Asuka walked down the ramp. Carmella grabbed Brianna and pulled her into a roll up. Carmella slid out of the ring and mockingly waved the Shaka sign as her music played. Brianna looked at the referee in surprise. She turned into a kick to the head from Asuka that laid her down on the mat.

Asuka stared down at Brianna with a smile before placing her hands over her face and moving it back and forth, paroding Brianna's own taunt. "And how smart is that, Asuka playing mind games with Brianna?" JBL spoke causing Phillips to shake his head.

"You call that smart? I call it underhanded. Asuka cost Brianna her match and then attacked her."

"Brianna is a two time Women's Champion, she should know that that's the nature of the beast by now!" Brianna stood to her feet and the crowd cheered. They chanted 'Hawaii Five 0' as Smackdown went to commercial.

XXX

Wrap. Getting closer to Fastlane, and Wrestlemania. I don't have much to say, so, thanks for reading guys.


	37. Chapter 37

Blitzkrieg 1.16

Andy walked backstage wearing an old 'Ride the Mercier' muscle shirt, black cargo pants and black combat boots with his laces hanging out. He had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and was chewing on a piece of gum. He glanced to the side where Bayley stood and shot her a smile as the other three members of Bullet Club began getting closer. "I'll see you later tonight." Andy spoke as he gave her a brief hug. Bayley nodded with a smile as she returned it.

"Hope you're ready to get beat on the Playstation." Andy laughed at her words and began walking towards his teammates as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Just make sure I don't get hold of the referee and you might have a chance!"

"Cheater!" Seth clapped Andy on the shoulder as he drew in close and Andy gave him a smile.

"Is he good to go?" Seth nodded at the man's words.

"Just got off the phone with him. I can't thank you enough for this Andy." Andy shrugged at the statement as he moved past the three men and began walking toward Bullet Club's locker room.

"When you need help, you look to family."

"Welcome to Monday Night Raw, we are now halfway to Fastlane! And if I'm not mistaken, we'll be hearing from Bullet Club soon."

"Well, that would seem like the case." Corey responded evenly. "Last week Andy Mercier and Seth Rollins were attacked by the Shield. That wasn't taken too lightly because Bullet Club showed up on Smackdown to confront the Shield about it."

"Bravo, Uniform, Lima, Lima, Echo, Tango... Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began and the crowd cheered happily as the four teammates walked through the crowd, mimicking the Shields own emtrance.

"Wow, look at that! Bullet Club mocking the Shield here tonight!"

"You want to talk about repercussions for anything, you can bet that there will be some from the Shield for this disrespect." Bullet Club entered the ring and Karl distributed microphones out amongst the four of them. Seth chuckled as he glanced around the arena.

"I forgot how fun that actually was." Seth spoke as he pointed to the crowd, causing them to cheer in response.

"So, the Shield want to run around and power bomb people. They like to jump barricades and attack people. That's what they've always done... no offense Seth."

"None taken." The former Shield member responded to Andy.

"And now they want to issue a challenge to Bullet Club for Fastlane." The crowd cheered and Andy nodded as he ran a hand over his face. "That's great. That's a challenge the Shield knows we will NOT back down from. Here's where the issue is. I will have a championship defense against an opponent who I don't even know who it is yet. And Seth? Seth has a match against Sami Zayne for the United States Championship. Very clever Austin. Either Seth or I do double duty at Fastlane, or it becomes a two on three handicap match, right? Very clever muppet. But you forget one thing. Bullet Club is a family business! And when you don't have enough family with you, what do you do? You bring in more family."

"You people forget that Bullet Club is not four guys on the Raw roster!" Karl spoke angrily as he looked heatedly into the camera. Luke nodded as he stepped forward.

"That's right. Bullet Club is on Smackdown. We still have a brother in AJ Styles. If Finn would ever get over himself and Andy's personal issue he'd be a brother. Jordan Sterling is Andy's brother. Bullet Club is in New Japan, Ring of Honor, Bullet Club rules the wrestling world!"

"That's right!" Seth spoke with a laugh. "You thought you had us in a corner didn't you? Dean, Roman, you know me better than that. You know that I am THE guy and I always have a way out! At Fastlane, the Shield will take on Bullet Club! Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and... a brother."

"This isn't just Club family either." Andy spoke as he walked forward to lean on the top rope, adjusting his title on his shoulder. "This... is blood family."

"Don't you dare be sour! Clap your hands for your world famous two time Tag Team Champions, and feel the power! It's a new day, yes it is!" The Bullet Club angrily looked up at the ramp as New Day danced out onto the stage.

"That's great Andy. It really is. And I'm sure that all these fans would love to hear you drone on and on about wrestlers you call your family but they really aren't." Andy grimaced as he leaned on the ropes while staring at Xavier as he talked.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you bloke's waltzed out here to ruin any good mood I've had. So, let's just get to the source of it all shall we? Why are you out here?"

"Because Bullet Club is taking on the Shield, our rematch for the Tage Team Championships is being pushed back to Wrestlemania." Big E responded.

"Which is fine." Kofi spoke quickly. "We'll be happy to put those two to shame at the grandest stage of them all. But, in the mean time, the New Day owes Bullet Club a little payback. So, I'm out here to tell you that your mystery opponent at Fastlane, Andy, is me." Andy stared at Kofi for a moment before laughing.

"That's grand muppet! I was a little worried that I'd have to face someone with, you know, actual talent! Thank you so much for putting my mind to rest!" Kofi stared darkly at Andy as the Bullet Club dropped their microphones and began leaving the ring.

"I'm glad you're finding this funny, Andy. This will be the real kicker for your punch line. Since Jordan's match with Jacen is after ours, he'll be in the ring with us as the Special Guest Referee! Isn't that hilarious!?" Kofi nodded as Andy stared at him. "That's right, buddy. To try to coax Jordan to Raw, he's being given the chance to make the decision on who the WWE Universal Champion will be. Is it still funny to you?" Andy yelled at Kofi who dropped his microphone and began dancing with his teammates to their music.

Backstage, Andy walked back and forth with his phone pressed to his ear. "Are you watching Raw? Then you know what Kofi just said. Is it true? And you knew about it. Listen Jordan, I know we have stuff going on right now, but I need you to keep this down the middle. I know, and I do trust you. I just, you know I can't afford the doubt. Okay, thanks mate. Yeah, I'll talk to you later." Andy threw his phone onto the couch sitting in the Bullet Club locker room. He turned and stared at four men standing around him.

"Well?" Seth questioned as he crossed his arms.

"Change of plans. Bullet Club will be on standby during every one of our matches. At Fastlane, we do whatever it takes to leave victorious, as a unit, and all in one piece. If anything gets dodgy... the rule book is out the window. We do it like we do in New Japan. Anyway we have to."

"Welcome to Tuesday night Smackdown! We're coming at you live and we have an amazing lineup for you here tonight!"

The Titantron showed Renee Young who smiled into the camera happily. "I'm here with Brianna Kelly,and Brianna, at Fastlane you will be facing Asuka to determine the Number one contender for the Smackdown Women's Championship held by Becky Lynch. How are you feeling about that?" Brianna bit her lip for a second before chuckling.

"Asuka is impressive. I won't deny that. But, going into the Royal Rumble, I was the Smackdown Women's Champion. Now, as history dictates, the former champion typically has a rematch clause. I don't mind a little competition. I embrace it. But my dream is to be here, at the top, trying to be the wrestler that I wanted to be when I was ten years old."

"An admirable dream." Renee responded with a nod. "You mentioned that Asuka was impressive. Last week, during your match with Carmella, Asuka distracted you allowing Carmella to pick the win up. Afterwards, she kicked you in the head. Can you give me any insight into your thoughts on that?" Brianna took a deep breath at the question.

"Like I said, Asuka is impressive. But, during the end of her NXT run and now here on Smackdown, she's turned into a bit of a bully. She likes to throw her dominance around. There's no doubt she's earned the respect she should be given. Believe you me, Andy Mercier doesn't respect just anybody. But that doesn't mean you run around and do whatever you want." Renee nodded at these words.

"Last question. Becky called you the face of the Smackdown Women's Division. Coming from her, a close friend and someone you obviously respect in the ring, how does that make you feel?"

"It's... almost a bit humbling when someone of Becky's caliber says that about you. It's a validation of how far you've really come from the moment you set foot in the WWE." Brianna paused in her answer as Asuka appeared on camera with a smile.

"Brianna... you may be the face of the Smackdown Women's Division... But you don't have what it takes to beat me." Brianna chuckled at these words.

"Is that right, Asuka?"

"I will beat you at Fastlane. And then I will defeat Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania. Someone like you... has no hope against someone like me. You are the Sami Zayne to my Andy Mercier. You'd only beat me if I were injured." Brianna gave a smirk at these words.

"Sami Zayne and Andy Mercier respect each other. They hold each other in very high regards and both are incredible wrestlers. I don't mind being compared to Sami. That's a compliment to me. But you, Asuka, you are no Andy Mercier. I hope you're able to put up as good a fight as you do with word play. Because I plan on beating you at Fastlane." Asuka stared darkly at Brianna before smiling.

"You won't come close."

The crowd cheered loudly as Tattooed Attitude played and Matthew walked onto the stage wearing his typical street clothes. He paused at the top of the ramp and gave a smile as he looked around at the crowd before making his way down the ramp. He walked up the stairs and entered the ring before taking a microphone from an official. His music died and he gave a chuckle as the fans chanted 'Tattooed Attitude!'. "So last week, Miz jumped me. Got the one up on me. Duped me. Got a little hardcore. Not enough hardcore. Not enough for me." Matthew laughed as he quit talking, the fans having said 'What?' After every one of his sentences. "You guys should save that for Jax. Really, he loves it. Me? I love being your Intercontinental Champion."

The crowd cheered louder and Matthew nodded. "I'm glad all of you support that. But there's that one grinch who tries to take good things away from everybody else. That grinch here is Miz. All jokes aside Miz, you bounced my head off a monitor. You drove my skull straight into pavement, and you know what? I liked it! That's the kind of enviornment I thrive in! I'm glad to see there's at least a little bit of an actual fighter inside that cowardly body of yours!"

"Awesome!" I Came to Play echoed through the arena and Miz walked out onto the stage in a blacked out suit. Maryse was surprisingly absent.

"Really!?" Miz questioned angrily as he marched down the ramp. "Really!? You liked it!? I think that's a lie Mr. Hardcore. I think you're just too embarrassed to admit that I laid you out, Mr. Hardcore!"

"Oh I'm not embarrassed at all, Miz. You got the better of me, you put me down, you gave me one hell of a headache, but above all else you woke up Hardcore R and I dare you to get in this ring with me because I'm going to lay your Hollywood wannabe ass down just like you did me last week." Miz stopped at the end of the ramp as the crowd roared. "You want to mess with me? You want to try to be hardcore with ME!? That's fine. I went and talked to Daniel about that. So at Fastlane, you and I will be fighting in-"

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." Matthew and Miz both looked around uneasily as Special Ops played through the arena. Before their eyes could spot then, the Shield had already jumped the barricade and were lining the front of the apron, staring at Miz. Miz backed up the ramp slightly as Jax stared intently at him. Then, the Shield turned around. Dean and Roman moved to the sides of the ring and they jumped onto the apron. Matthew looked at Jax with disappointment as the Shield entered the ring and surrounded him.

"Guess I caught a case of Bad Luck, huh?" Matthew questioned, somewhat jokingly, as Jax cracked his neck. Miz, feeling confident, slid into the ring. He threw an arm over Jax's shoulders with a laugh as he pointed at Matthew. There was a brief pause. Then Jax lashed out and caught Miz with a Cutter. Dean and Roman turned away from Matthew and began stomping away at the Miz as Jax stared at Matthew. The son of the Hall of Famer chuckled and waved a hand at Matthew. He stepped forward and grabbed Matthew's hand and raised his mic to his mouth.

"At Fastlane, in that Street Fight you were about to announce, watch your back. You may have to dig really deep down and find that Hardcore R in you. Because you, my friend... You might just be next." Jax and his fellow partners exited the ring, and Matthew watched as they exited the same route they had entered from while Smackdown went to commercial.

When Smackdown returned, Renee Young smiled into the camera. "I'm here with the winner of the Royal Rumble winner, Jordan Sterling. Jordan, it was announced last night that you would be the special guest referee for the WWE Universal Championship match at Fastlane. Can you give me your thoughts on that, and if it will affect you decision on what champion you face at Wrestlemania?" Jordan crossed his arms over his chest as he thought about the words.

"The fact that I'm the referee puts me in a difficult place with who's fighting. Kofi, who believed in me when no one else did when I got here. And Andy Mercier. It gets beaten to death but the statement is true, my best mate. Now, I accidently punched Andy and some might think I owe him for that. Some might think I'll cost Kofi the match. Some might think I meant to punch Andy. They may also think I'll cost Andy the match. But neither of those is true. I plan on calling the match straight down the middle. They're my friends, and they both deserve to have equal opportunity to win their match. As for who I challenge, it doesn't change anything in my mind. On one hand, either way I will have a friend who I have never gotten to face with incredible talent... or Cesaro. The man who beat me for my United States Championship and, as some friends say, caused my quote and quote downhill slope. I think I'll wait until at least Fastlane to reveal my decision, but I have it pretty set in my mind who I'm going after."

"Right. Now, not only are you a special referee at Fastlane, but you'll be facing Jacen Knight in a Knockout match, something you've participated in before with Kevin Owens. Last week-" Renee broke off with a scream as Jacen plowed into Jordan. Jordan hit the wall and Jacen began unloading on his skull. Jordan put up a fight for a minute before energy seemed to leave him. Officials came to break them apart as Renee screamed for help. Jacen pushed away from Jordan with one final punch before looking at the camera. Jacen smirked as he lifted his right hand which held brass knuckles on it. Jacen removed them and tossed them over his shoulder to Jordan.

"How do you like the sight of your blood? I tried to tell you not to anger god." Jacen stepped away from the scene as Becky rushed to Jordan's side.

"Oh my god! Get a doctor!" She yelled as she held Jordan's head. There were large gashes over his eyes bleeding heavily. Smackdown faded to commercial as Doctors rushed to Jordan, checking his injuries with white gloves and shining lights in his eyes as they asked him questions to make sure he was responsive.

XXX

Wrap. I've been trying to get this out all day, but I'm on meds for a broken bone until i get surgery and it kind of has my attention all over the place. Until next time guys, I love you all!


	38. Chapter 38

Blitzkrieg 1.17

"Welcome to Monday Night Raw, and we have a little bit of breaking news."

"Just a little while ago, Finn Balor was attacked and injured by the Shield. We have the footage from the attack." The Titantron sparked to life and it showed Finn Balor lacing up his boots while reading 'Earlier Today' in the bottom corner.

Finn sat up straight and placed his hands on his knees as he looked around. "There any reason you lot are here?" Finn questioned. In the arena, the crowd reacted quickly as the Shield stepped into camera view and surrounded Finn in a Semi circle. "Really? Is there something I can help you three with?"

"Andy Mercier." Roman Reigns spoke as all three men stood with their hands hooked in the neck of their vests. Finn looked at the man for a moment before laughing.

"Sorry, you're in the wrong locker room. Bullet Club doesn't hang out in here anymore." Finn made to stand up, but Jax pushed him back in his chair. Finn laughed again. "You know, you're just about as self entitled as your dad." Jax squatted down to be eye to eye with Finn.

"What?" Jax questioned before smirking. "You know it's funny that you brought my dad up. Because that's what this little visit is all about. Family. Now, I know that you and Mercier have this little bickering you do back and forth. But you and the Bullet Club... you go back. Way back. To the beginning when you created it. Now, I think that egos may get a little involved when something new comes along and threatens something that you created."

"You think I'm the third man that's going to take on the Shield?" Finn questioned before chuckling. "I think it's a little more paranoia involved in this than it is ego. I'm not the third man." Finn stood up, and the Shield immediately blocked him in.

"I'd like to believe you. I really do. But that's something I can't risk." Finn looked around at the three men with a clenched jaw.

"You're right in that Andy and I bicker a little bit. However, even though I'm not his third man, I really do hope Bullet Club stomps a 'mudhole' in you three at Fastlane." Jax laughed at these words.

"That's funny. Because we're about to stomp a mudhole in you!" Immediately the Shield members began attacking Finn. The lone wrestler tried to fend them off as best he could before they overwhelmed him. Jax grabbed Finn by his head and slammed it into a locker. Finn stumbled back and fell to the ground holding his head. Dean grabbed Finn's right arm and extended it while Roman wrapped his arm around his neck in a headlock.

"Come on!" Dean yelled. "Do it!" Jax lashed out with a violent kick into Finn's hyper extended shoulder. Finn screamed in pain as he was released and grabbed at his arm. Dean and Roman stared down at Finn before they stepped backward to leave the locker room. Jax lingered for a moment before making to leave. He paused, however, and curb stomped Finn's skull into the cement floor. Jax kneeled and looked at Finn.

"The Shield will make sure Bullet Club is done. Believe that." Jax stared at Finn a moment longer before standing up and leaving the locker room. The camera lingered on Finn before the Titantron went black. There was a pause throughout the arena.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began playing as Andy walked onto the stage with his three teammates close in tow.

"And here comes the Bullet Club now! Is it just me, Corey, or does Andy look mad here tonight?"

"Cole, I can tell you from experience, that is the face of a man you don't want to be in the way of." The Bullet Club entered the ring and Andy took a microphone before pacing back and forth in the ring. He shifted the Universal Championship on his shoulder before pausing to look in the eyes of each of his teammates. Then he spoke.

"Finn Balor and I have some... unresolved differences. But Finn Balor is an amazing wrestler. Outside of this ring he's someone I've always considered a friend. Even after he had Luke and Karl plant chairs in my back. Even after I formed Bullet Club here and he was subsequently pushed to the side... Finn Balor is someone who I have a lot of history with.

"I fought against him in Japan. I teamed with him. I drove with him, I roomed with him, I ate with him, we are Bullet Club 4 Life! All differences aside Finn Balor is the creator of Bullet Club and even though he left on his terms he is still... Bullet Club 4 Life. And he is still a brother. What Shield did today made me sick. It made me want to get ahold of them the second I saw it." Andy paused and glanced back to Luke, Karl and Seth who were looking out into the crowd.

"Shield, you're trying to put us back in that situation where we're in a bind. Either we someone does double duty or its a handicap match. Right? On top of the fact you took out an amazing wrestler, you took out the wrong man. Finn wasn't even the third man for Fastlane! But you can bet that every bit of damage that's done to you by the three men in that match will be done with Finn Balor in mind. Belive that."

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." The Bullet Club instantly rallied to one side of the ring as they laid eyes on the Shield as they appeared in the upper crowd. Meanwhile, Andy leaned against the ropes on the opposite side of the ring and stared up at them.

"Welcome to Raw, Shield, where only one of you belong." Andy spoke as he pushed over the ropes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "As a matter of fact... I'm pretty sure there's one of you that isn't even officially contracted to WWE. So, since you're being so gracious to allow Bullet Club to be your introduction, how would you like to do this? The easy way where you make your way down to the ring and we beat your sorry asses. Or the hard way where we chase you through the arena and beat your sorry asses. Your pick."

"You won't be laying a hand on any of his." Roman spoke as Seth grabbed a microphone.

"Oh yeah? And what's stopping us from getting our hands on you?" Roman smirked down at Seth as Dean took his mic.

"That's simple, Seth. We've received specific directions from an upper management type, and while I'm not a stickler for rules, I'm not inclined to disobey them." Dean handed the microphone to Jax who smirked down at the ring.

"The first rule is simple. None of us are allowed to lay hands on anybody in our match. That mean Luke and Karl are off limits to us and we're off limits to them. Unless Andy or Seth put themselves in the match then they're not off limits. Anybody we don't know is in the match is not off limits. Finn Balor was not off limits. Rule two, effective immediately, Bullet Club consisting of Andy Mercier, Seth Rollins, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows is banned from Smackdown under penalty of indefinite suspension until after Fastlane. And finally, our match at Fastlane has been changed... to a six man elimination match." Andy clenched his jaw slightly as he pushed off the ropes and paced back and forth.

"That seems like a pretty big pyramid you have going for you, Jax." Andy spoke into his mic before turning to stare up at the man. "So that tells me you're either working for somebody really high up or somebody else that's working for somebody really high up. Who is it Jax? Let us all in on your little secret." Jax smirked down at Andy and rolled his neck.

"Don't worry about Shield business. We do what we think is necessary when it's necessary how we think it needs to be done. All you need to know is that at Fastlane, Bullet Club is dead." Jax passed the microphone to Roman as he and Dean left the crowd. Roman chuckled as he stared at the four members of the Bullet Club.

"Believe that."

Backstage, Stephanie McMahon stopped as the Bullet Club walked toward her. "What's going on, Stephanie?" Andy questioned as he came face to face with the commissioner of Raw. "If those rules are real, they came from upper management and they all seem tailor made to protect the Shield. That seems really dodgy."

"Look, I understand where you're coming from." Stephanie replied as she used her hands to try to calm the situation down. "But the fact of the matter is, this match has wrestlers from Raw and Smackdown so any rules put in place have to be agreed on by Shane and I. That's difficult, so I agreed to what I could to protect you. And I can't ban the whole Shield from Raw. Only Dean, and that will be in effect starting now. He's been escorted off the property. Look, I understand you're under a lot of pressure with everything you have going on. Why don't you all just take the rest of the night off and cool down. We'll start fresh next week. How does that sound?" Andy rolled his neck before stepping forward.

"I like you Stephanie. You haven't done wrong by me yet. And your Hunters wife. But something dodgy is going on. Someone is funding the Shield and what they're doing. Everything is planned out. Everything they do I see as a mercenary hit. I love the WWE. And I don't plan on letting them or anyone else ruin this for me." Stephanie stared at Andy for a moment before smiling.

"I wouldn't expect you to. You have Hunters full backing, so you have mine as well. If I find out that somebody is putting the Shield up to what they're doing... I'll let you know." Andy stared at Stephanie for a moment before giving a brief smile. Then, he and the Bullet Club walked away. Stephanie stared after them.

"Welcome to Smackdown Live! We're just five days away from Fastlane!"

The Titantron came to life as it showed what was being filmed backstage. The crowd booed as it showed the Miz, but still cheered when it was revealed that he was talking to Daniel Bryan. "A street fight? Are you serious?! You're Going to put the most must see superstar on your roster in a street fight with someone like Matthew Rodriguez!? Really!? In case you've forgotten, Daniel, that is the Intercontinental Championship we're fighting for, not some second rate Hardcore Championship!" Daniel stared at Miz with a raised eyebrow before chuckling. "Am I being funny to you right now!?"

"Miz, I always find it funny when you wine." Daniel responded with a smile as he stood up and the crowd cheered at his words. "I know what titles I have on my show, and I know which one you're fighting for. I also know that it's not a hardcore Championship. However, you attacked the current champion in a way that seemed to be very... want to be hardcore. And you are the man that said you don't run from anything. You're the one that lives by John Cena's I, never back down, never quit, right? So I don't see why it's such a problem." Miz stared at Daniel as his face got red.

"So you're not going to do anything about this?" Daniel smirked at Miz.

"About the match? No! But you have an option. Show up and fight, or stay at home." Miz seemed to want to say something but opted to leave Daniel's office with a scream. Daniel shook his head at his door with a small chuckle.

Phenomenal by CFO$ played throughout the arena as AJ Styles walked out onto the stage. He smirked around at the crowd before throwing his hands up to form his logo on his gloves. He made to walk down the ramp. Then, he fell to the metal as The Shield slammed into him from behind. "No! What's the Shield doing out here!?" Phillips called as JBL laughed.

"Sending a message Phillips!" The man tried to get back to his feet, but the three members of the Shield stomped around him in a cohesive unit. Jax pulled AJ up and shoved him back to the stage. Dean kicked him in the back of the knee, knocking him off balance. Then, Roman caught him with a spear. Roman gave a roar as he stood to his feet, looking around angrily at the crowd. Dean and Jax grabbed AJ'S arms and dragged him across the stage with Roman following close by. When they reached the end of the stage, Dean and Jax lifted AJ up onto Roman's shoulders before they Triple power bombed him off the stage and through two tables set side by side. AJ lay unmoving in the aftermath.

"The Shield just laid waste to AJ Styles." John spoke with a laugh. "Is that a message for the Shield or what?" Smackdown went to commercial as the Shield connected their fists together.

When Smackdown returned, Alexa Bliss made her way down to the ring. Brianna stood beside the curtains in the Gorilla position. She glanced around for any sign of Asuka before Meteor began playing, signaling her entrance. She broke through the curtains and smiled as she looked around at the crowd. She waved the Shaka sign and made her way down the ramp before entering the the ring. She took her corner as her music ended. The referee glanced back and forth between the two competitors before calling for the bell. Alexa and Brianna moved forward and began circling each other. They made to lock up, but Alexa dodged away and delivered a kick to Brianna's ankle. Brianna stumbled before swinging around and catching Alexa with a forearm. Alexa took a step out before lashing out with another kick, this time to the side of the leg. Brianna grit her teeth as Alexa pulled her into a headlock. Brianna shoved her away and Alexa bounced off the ropes. When she came back, Brianna made for a forearm, but Alexa dodged down underneath it. Alexa came back with a dropkick that sent Brianna to the mat. Brianna rolled back to her feet but was caught with a running knee that dropped her back down. Brianna held her face and Alexa smirked down at her before delivering her Insult to Injury.

Brianna held her abdomen in pain before pushing back to her feet. Alexa bounced off of the ropes and came back with another dropkick, but Brianna dodged away from it. Brianna delivered a swift kick to Alexa's face, causing her to roll across the mat. Alexa sat up and Brianna caught her with a shining wizard. Brianna made for a cover, but Alexa quickly broke it. Brianna stood to her feet and dragged Alexa up. She pulled her in for a DDT, but Alexa twisted out of it. Alexa kicked her in the abdomen, causing her to double over before she kneed the woman in the face. Brianna fell to one knee and Alexa smirked before slapping her. Brianna felt her bottom lip before she pushed upward, slamming her shoulder into Alexa's abdomen. Alexa doubled over and Brianna popped up before dropping her with a dropkick. Brianna shook the Shaka sign and began to pull Alexa into the Melanie Rose. She quit, however, as The Future began playing and Asuka made her way down the ramp.

Brianna yelled at her as she stood at the front of the ring. Alexa grabbed her from behind and pulled her into a roll up. "No! Not again! This is just like last week!" Brianna was able to get out of the cover at two. She popped to her feet and went for a spinning heel kick to Alexa. Alexa ducked down and the kick caught the referee, sending him to the mat. Brianna ducked a forearm from Alexa before hitting a back kick to her abdomen. Then, Asuka's foot slammed into the side of her head. The crowd booed as Brianna hit the mat. "This is despicable! This needs to stop! Oh, what's she doing now?" Phillips called as Asuka grabbed Brianna's foot and dragged her across the mat. Asuka dropped to the outside before dragging Brianna's leg under the rope. JBL gave a slight laugh as Asuka slammed Brianna's ankle into the ringpost.

"That's strategy Phillips! That's how you get ahead in this business!" Asuka slammed Brianna's foot into the ring post again. Then again. The crowd heavily chanted 'No!' And Asuka slammed her ankle into the ring post harder everytime. Then, she finally shoved Brianna's leg away after an elbow to the ankle. Brianna rolled out into the ring holding her ankle. Alexa quickly made her way up the turnbuckle before performing her Twisted Bliss. Alexa covered and the referee stirred to make the count. Alexa's music played through the arena as the crowd booed. Smackdown faded to commercial on Asuka's smiling face.

When Smackdown returned, it showed Renee Young's smiling face. "I'm here with Jacen Knight who, in five days, will-" Renee was interrupted when Jacen reached over and took her microphone away.

"Renee, stop. Everybody knows who you are. And everybody know who I am. I am god, and in five days everybody knows I will smite Jordan. Sterling, last week I sent a message to you. Nothing more. This Sunday, I'm going to do the same thing I did to you last week. But this time, I won't need brass knuckles." Jacen quit talking and the crowd cheered as Jordan stepped on screen, looking at his right hand that had blood stained brass knuckles on it. Jordan looked up to stare at Jacen before taking the microphone and handing it back to Renee.

"Last week you asked me how I like the sight of my own blood. The answer is, I don't. Because if I let someone else make me bleed, well I'm not as good as I thought I was, now am I...? But I'm not worried about it this Sunday. Because I have nothing to lose to you. Your the one with something to lose." Jacen stared at Jordan before chuckling.

"Yeah? And what's that... 'Wanker'." Jordan gave a return chuckle to the mocking insult.

"The big one, Jacen. Since you got here, you just haven't been able to win that big match, have you? No. Just low key ones. Meanwhile, I've been the United States Champion. Twice. I've fought Owens in a Knockout match, in a hardcore match, I've fought the Wyatt family in an elimination tables match, hell I buried Bray Wyatt alive. I also beat you one on one and eliminated you to win the Royal Rumble. You're the only one with something to prove in this match." Jacen stared darkly at Jordan as Jordan removed the brass knuckles and looked them over. "You used these to bust me open last week. I hope you're as good as you say you are. Because I've never needed anything as dodgy as this to knock somebody out." Jordan threw the brass knuckles directly in Jacen's face. Jacen's nostrils flared angrily and he made to step forward. Then he took a step back and Jordan glanced around wearily as the Shield surrounded him. Jax starred at Jordan before glancing to Jacen.

"You really want to hang around here?" Jacen glared heavily at Jax and made to step forward. Then, he glanced to Roman and slowly backed away. Jax chuckled with a shake of his head before looking back to Jordan. "How you doing Hardcore? You know, I only know one Hardcore. And you're not him."

"Cut the crap." Jordan returned as he turned to face the three members of the Shield head on. "I heard Dean there was banned from Raw until after Fastlane. Why are you two here." Jax smirked at the start and Dean leaned forward to tap Roman on the chest.

"They weren't banned from Smackdown." Jax popped his neck before Jordan took a deep breath.

"Why are you here?"

"What?" Jax returned mockingly. "You want to ask why I'm here? What? It's simple why I'm here. What? To open a can of whoop ass on anybody I damn well please... what?" Jordan shook his head.

"Cute. If you hate being in daddy's Shadow so much, why do you play into it?"

"Because family is what all of these little visits I'm having to make are about. You, Jordan, are Andy Mercier's best mate, right? His... brother. Just like Finn Balor. And just like AJ Styles. Now, the question on my mind is if you plan to be a guest referee and then fight in your little Knockout match... or try to be the hero and do triple duty. Meaning a six man elimination tag match, guest referee and your little Knockout fight."

"You're a paranoid bloke, aren't you?"

"I'm a Shadow making sure justice is delivered."

"So do it." Jordan shot back. "I'll 'Believe That' when I see it." Jax chuckled at the words as he turned to face the other two members of the Shield. He gave a nod of his head, and then Dean and Roman descended on Jordan. Jordan quickly retaliated and began trading blows with both of them. His defense was broken when Jax lashed out and caught him with a kick to the abdomen. Jordan was quickly overwhelmed as the three men unloaded on him. Jax kicked Jordan and hit him with a stunner. He bounced up and into a Dirty Deeds from Dean. The three men stared at Jordan before Jax and Dean picked him up. They held him on his feet until he was speared into the brick wall behind him by Roman. Roman roared at Jordan before Jax slapped his shoulder. Roman and Dean walked away as Dean laughed. Jax kneeled down and titled his head at Jordan.

"Do you believe that?" Jax pushed to his feet and followed after his teammates. There was silence as Jordan sat propped up on the wall holding his neck and abdomen. Officials began to make their way over when Jacen's knee slammed into Jordan's head, forcing it to bounce off the wall. Jacen smashed his fist violently against Jordan's skull. Officials pulled him away, but Jacen broke free and slammed his knee into Jordan's face one more time before he was forced away.

"Don't anger god, Jordan! Do you hear me!? Don't piss off!" Smackdown faded to commercial as Doctors tended to Jordan.

Later, the camera showed Miz Stalking through the halls in his black suit, angrily talking to his wife. "Can you believe this!? A hardcore match against that... that idiot!? Do you know how many movies that's going to be in jeopardy because of this!? And I can either show up or not? Oh, I bet everybody would love that! The Miz didn't show up, he's a coward! Haha, jokes on Miz!" Miz shook his head angrily as Maryse tried to console him. They rounded a corner before Miz cried out and doubled over as a kendo stick slammed into his gut. In the arena, the fans cheered as Matthew observed his kendo stick.

"That looked like it hurt buddy." Matthew spoke before slamming the stick into Miz's back, causing him to fall to the ground with his back arched in pain. Maryse screamed at Matthew, who gave her a brief glance before repeatedly hitting Miz with the kendo stick. After a few moments, he paused and Miz tried to pick himself up using Matthew's pants. "Remember when you jumped me and slammed my head into a monitor?" Matthew questioned as Miz angrily stared at him.

"You listen here you little-"

"Yeah, this is payback." Matthew cracked the kendo stick across Miz's skull before Miz fell limp to the ground. Matthew observed him as Maryse threw her body over his before Matthew dropped his weapon. "There's more of that waiting for you Sunday. Leave your wife at home, she won't want to be there when I get hold of you." Matthew turned and the crowd booed as he came face to face with the Shield. Matthew looked at the three of them before staring at Jax. "Bad Luck finally catch up to me?" Jax returned Matthew's stare before placing his hands on his shoulders.

"You're the last man on our list before Fastlane. I don't want to hurt you Matt. But since you've been here, you've started hanging around Jordan and Andy and that links you to the Bullet Club. Really because of your relationship with Becky. As the man who held tag team titles with you three times, are you with the Club?" Matthew glanced to Jax's hands before looking back at him.

"Would it matter if I said yes or no?" Jax chuckled at the statement as he patted Matthew's shoulders.

"I'm protecting you Matt. But I can only protect you so much. Don't make me regret this. Do me a favor and keep your head in your match." Jax nodded his head and the Shield began to leave.

"Hey Bad Luck." Matthew called causing them to stop. "When I first saw you here I was ecstatic. You were my best friend for a long time. When everything is said and done... do you think we'll still be friends." It wasn't a question, but Jax responded anyway.

"You'll always be my friend. But I have to do what's necessary. If you still see me as a friend after everything, that's something else." Matthew nodded.

"That's what I figured." The Shield moved forward again. Dean stomped on a recovering Miz's hand as he passed, causing him to scream.

"I never liked that piece of trash."

Jordan groaned in pain as he laid on a table in the trainers room. He held his head before a voice broke his silence. "How are you doing?" Jordan opened his eyes and smiled as he looked at Becky.

"Just a little concust." Jordan returned, drawing a disappointed look from Becky as he laughed. "I'm kidding. I'm fine. I've been checked out and everything. I'll be good to go once my headache goes away." Becky grimaced at his words and stepped forward to stroke his hair.

"You're not the third man are you...?" Jordan looked up at Becky in confusion before realization dawned on him.

"For Bullet Club? No." Becky released a breath and nodded. Jordan furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?"

"I think... I think you need to keep your distance from Andy."

"What?"

"You got hurt because of him. Because of the Bullet Club. And then got even more hurt because of Jacen, who's probably only in the WWE to fight Andy. You have a Knockout match Sunday and you're in even more of a dangerous situation because of Bullet Club. I have to worry about you and the Club and Matthew and the Shield. I think... you should try to keep your distance from Andy. I'm worried about your health." Jordan grimaced and forced himself into a sitting position.

"Sweetheart, I love you and I value your opinion. But Andy would do anything for me. He didn't turn his back on me when the Wyatt family were targeting me and you. He didn't turn his back on me when I asked him to be in an elimination tables match with me. He's my best mate. I can't just turn my back on him. He can't control everything that happens to me." Becky nodded as she scratched her head.

"You're right. I just... I worry." Jordan nodded.

"I know. And I love you for it. Come here." Jordan pulled Becky into a hug and ran his hand through her hair as he thought about her words.

"Hello everybody and welcome to Fastlane!" John Bradshaw Layfield crowed through his headset.

"And tonight we're going to kick things off with a little six man elimination tag match." Corey tacked on moments before the speakers blared to life.

"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta... Shield." Special Ops played and the crowd was split down the middle between cheering and booing as Jax, Dean and Roman made their way through the crowd. They cleared the barricade and quickly entered the ring. They stood shoulder to shoulder with each other as their music died. There was a brief pause.

"Bullet Club 4-4-4 4 Life!" Shot'em began playing as Luke and Karl exited the gorilla position and took the stage. They stared at the Shield before making their way down the ramp.

"Well, there's two members of Bullet Club, but I don't see that mystery partner John. Are you thinking what I am?" Corey questioned as Luke and Karl entered the ring to stare at their opponents.

"Of course I am. Either the Shield took out their mystery partner in their hunt for him or he backed out after he saw what the Shield can do!" Shot'em stopped playing, and Dean mockingly gestured to where their third partner was. Jax chuckled as 'SR' appeared on the Titantron and Second Coming by CFO$ played. When nobody walked out, the three Shield members began smirking at their opponents. Their smirks faded when Second Coming became Through It All by From Ashes to New and the 'SR' became 'CR'.

"And their partner, from Calgary Alberta Canada," the announcer called, "Chris Rollins!"

"That's Seth Rollins little brother!" JBL called in shock as a man arpund the height of 5'10" stepped out onto the stage. He had light brown hair that was shaved short on the side but longer on top and hazel green eyes. On his left wrist he had a black band that came to the middle of his forearm. It had a silver lightning bolt outlined with red. The outlining extended just a little bit past the black band on either side. On the right wrist he had another black band but it was designed with white scale like designs. Both bands were laced on the inside of the forearm. He had black tights that had hip bones attached to leg bones printed on the front. Printed onto the left leg bone was what was supposed to look like a metal plate with 'Raw Power' written on it. On the side of the right leg the Bushido was written vertically in silver and outlined in red. On the back of the left leg was the Phrase 'Maximum Effort'. His tights had belt loops and he had a black belt with a silver lightning bolt. He had a belt buckle that had the initials CR in silver outlined with red. He had black boots with black kick pads that came into points over his knees. The right was completely white and black. It was split into three sections with a white line up the middle and a curved line near the top. The top section had bullets lined in a curve while the bottom two sections had wing designs. The left kick pad was outlined in red. A skull extended down from the red on the top. It had bullets trailing off to the side and had a silver biohazard sign near the bottom disappearing into the side. Along with this he wore a black leather vest that had its collar studded and studs around the bottom of the back, along with a belt and buckle built into the front that dangled as it was left undone.

The man, Chris, came down onto both knees and felt the metal of the stage like it was sand. He even lifted his hand and moved his fingers as if dropping sand. Then, he looked at his wrist like there was a watch and tapped it before popping to his feet. He walked halfway down the ramp before holding up his left palm and pointing to it with his right index finger. Then, he spun around with his arms outstretched as he walked backwards. When he reached the end of the ramp, he turned back around before making his way to the left side of the ring. He jumped onto the apron before standing to his feet and doing a very old school Chris Jericho like spin. He hooked his arms over the top rope and stared at the crowd before making his way to the turnbuckle and climbing the side of it. He extended his left palm and pointed at it with his right index finger before dropping into the ring. He removed his vest and handed it off to someone outside, revealing he had a tattoo of the Bushido down his spine as he smirked at the Shield. Jax stared darkly at him. "Bullet Club wasn't lying when they said a blood brother was being brought in and the Shield laid out all the wrong men for it!"

The referee got between them all and forced them to their corners. Karl and Dean were the first ones to become the legal men as their partners exited to the apron. The referee wearily looked at them all before calling for the bell. Karl and Dean went forward and circled each other. They made to lock up, but Karl feigned to the side and punched him in the ribs. Dean went to the side before punching Karl in the face. Karl stumbled back and Dean launched into a flurry of strikes before Karl pushed him away. Dean came back with a clothesline that dropped him to the mat. Dean stomped away at Karl before Karl rolled away and came to his feet. Dean came after him with another clothesline, but Karl ducked down under it. Dean turned around into a big boot that dropped him to the mat. Karl picked Dean up and dropped him with a DDT. Dean rolled away and held his face. Karl pulled him back to his feet and made to Irish whip him into the corner, but Dean twisted and kicked him in the abdomen. Karl double over and Dean placed his forearms over his face before forcing him back into his corner. Jax slapped Dean's shoulder before entering the ring. He got a few shots in on Karl's head before Dean was forced to leave the ring. Karl fell to a sitting position where Jax began stomping away at him violently. When he was forced away by the referee, he tagged Dean back in. Dean resumed Jax's action of stomping away at Karl, and when he was forced to stomp he tagged Roman in so Roman could do the same. Then, Roman dragged Karl to his feet and tagged Jax back in. Jax entered the ring and Roman Irish whipped Karl towards him. Jax caught him with a spinning elbow that dropped him to the mat. Jax looked around the arena before picked Karl back up to his feet.

Karl shoved him away and caught him with a clothesline. Jax hit the mat and Karl made a break for his corner. Jax jumped up and caught Karl's leg, forcing him to fall to the mat. Jax stomped on his back multiple times before dropping his knee down onto the man's neck. Jax reached down and pulled Karl up. He placed him in position for a Cutter and looked at the younger Rollins brother before flipping him off. He jumped into the air for a Cutter but Karl shoved him away and made him fall to his back on the mat. Karl stumbled to the side and quickly tagged Luke in. Luke entered the ring and when Jax found his way to his feet, the New legal man caught him with a big boot. Jax hit the mat and Dean yelled at Luke from the apron. Luke reached down and picked Jax up before pulling him for a suplex. Jax rolled across the mat with his back arched before he found himself dragged back up. Luke caught Jax with three short arm clotheslines before allowing him to drop to the mat. Luke picked his opponent up and Irish whipped him into the corner. He followed after and slammed into Jax before tagging Karl back in. Jax stumbled forward and was caught in an aided snap swinging neckbreaker. Jax rolled across the mat and Karl made for a pin. He was speared by Roman Reigns. Roman turned and was caught in a springboard Enzuigiri from Chris. Chris dodged to the side as Dean tried to catch him in a clothesline. Dean continued forward and knocked Luke off the apron and to the ground. He turned around into a dropkick from Chris. Chris stood to his feet and looked at Dean before Jax grabbed him from behind and shoved him through the ropes and to ringside.

"Things have broken down early on here." Corey spoke as Karl slowly stood to his feet. Jax lashed out with a kick before giving Karl a Stunner and going for the cover.

"Stone Cold Stunner! That takes me back!" JBL commentated with a laugh.

"Karl Anderson has been eliminated!"

"And that stunner gives the Shield a one up over Bullet Club. This has just become a handicap match!" Luke slid into the ring and ducked down under a clothesline from Jax. Jax spun and dodged a big boot before kicking Luke in the back of the knee. Luke's knee buckled and Jax Irish whipped him into the corned. Jax followed after and caught him with a running elbow before tagging Roman in. Roman entered the ring and delivered an elbow to Luke's skull as Jax exited the ring. Roman made to Irish whip Luke out of the corner but then pulled him back into a violent clothesline. Roman roared before looking over to Chris Rollins and smirking. Roman reached down to pick Luke up, but Luke raked his eyes. Roman stumbled back and Luke caught him with a big boot. Roman hit the mat and Luke quickly pulled him up before dropping him with a DDT. Luke rolled away and dropped down onto Roman with an elbow drop. Roman got back to his feet and delivered an uppercut to Luke, causing him to stumble to the side. Roman moved to his corner and tagged Dean back in. Dean rushed across the ring and jumped into the air before dropping Luke to the mat. Dean reached down and slapped Luke in the face. Then, he made to bounce off the ropes. At the last second he swerved and slapped Chris Rollins. Dean laughed as he turned around and kicked Luke in the side of the head. Before the referee could stop him, Chris entered the ring and grabbed Dean before dropping him with a Headlock Driver.

"Dirty Deeds, talk about courageous!" John exclaimed.

"I believe Chris actually calls that Automatic Midnight." Corey corrected.

"Either way, he just used a move Dean has made a calling card here in the WWE." Chris dodged Roman Reigns and let him slam into the turnbuckles before catching Jax with a step up Enzuigiri. Chris rolled out of the ring as Luke made the cover on Dean.

"Dean Ambrose has been eliminated!"

"And this match is now on even grounds again. Two on two!" Karl pushed himself off the mat and turned straight into a Superman Punch from Roman. Luke's head whipped to the side and he fell to the mat. The crowd booed as Roman picked the pin up off of the move.

"Luke Gallows has been eliminated!"

"And just like that it's a handicap match again!" JBL crowed. Roman stood to his feet and turned into a running dropkick from Chris. Chris bounced to his feet and ducked as Roman stood and went for a clothesline. Chris bounced off the ropes and hit a springboard moonsault onto Roman. Chris was instantly back on his feet and hit the ropes, elbowing Jax in the face and knocking him to ringside. He bounced back and caught Roman with a knee drop. Chris rolled across the mat and popped to his feet before waiting for Roman to come into a sitting position. Chris went for a shining wizard, but Roman dropped down under it. Roman hurried to his feet and went for a spear, but Chris twisted just out of the way of it. Roman turned and ducked down under and Enzuigiri. Chris hurried to his feet and dodged out of the way as Roman went for another Superman Punch. Chris kicked him in the abdomen before catching him with a snapmare neckbreaker.

"There's that beautiful move that Chris has used for years in companies like Ring of Honor. He calls that Code Blue!" Chris covered Roman. Jax rushed to enter the ring, but was to late to break the pin.

"Roman Reigns has been eliminated!" Jax and Chris locked eyes as Chris stood to his feet.

"And then there were two. Jax Austin the son of Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Chris Rollins, the younger brother of Seth Rollins!" The two men continued to stare at each other before Jax made for Chris. Chris ducked down under a clothesline and Jax turned around into a forearm. Jax stumbled back before rushing forward and catching Chris with a Lou Thesz Press. Jax followed up by unloading punches on Chris' skull. Jax rolled off of Chris and made to pull him to his feet, but Chris broke the hold and hit an dropkick to Jax's legs. Jax fell to his knees and Chris caught him with and Frankensteiner Driver. Jax's body shot up straight and Chris did jazz like hands as he called "Avada!" He super kicked Jax in the face before doing a bow with a yell of "Kedavra!". Chris went for the cover, but Jax broke the count at two. Chris made to pull Jax to his feet, but Jax caught him with an upper cut. Chris stumbled back before he was caught with a shoulder block that sent him to his back. Chris rolled across the ring and popped back to his feet and rushed Jax. In retaliation, Jax rushed past him before pulling him into an inverted headlock backbreaker. Chris fell to the mat holding his back as Jax pounded on the mat.

"Shades of a man who helped train Jax, Randy Orton!" Chris stood to his feet before he was caught with an RKO styled Cutter. "And there's the Stone Cold Cutter!" Jax got in Chris' face and yelled at him before flipping him off and going for a cover. He only got a two count and yelled angrily at the referee before turning and stomping Chris. He grabbed Chris by his hair and slowly dragged him to his feet. Chris elbowed Jax in the abdomen, breaking his hold, before pulling Jax into a straight Jacket Scoop Brainbuster.

"And there's Chris' It Came From Japan!" Corey called as Chris squatted down and stared at Jax with his hands clasped in front of his face. Jax slowly stood before he was pulled into a Cross-legged Fisherman Buster. "And It Came From Japan II!" Chris made for a cover, but again Jax was able to break it. Chris shook his head as the crowd made their shock known. Chris stood up before going to pick Jax up. Jax jammed his thumb into Chris' eye. Chris stumbled back as Jax jumped up and dropped him with a DDT. Chris felt his head before coming to his hands and knees. "Jax is going for the Curb Stomp!" Chris moved out of the way as Jax made to Curb Stomp him. Chris popped up and caught Jax with a Snapmare Driver. "And straight into Chris' Maximum Overdrive!"

"And look at the guts in Seth's baby brother!" Chris yelled at Jax and flipped him off as Jax had done him before covering him. The crowd cheered heavily as Through it All played.

"Here are your winners, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and Chris Rollins!" Luke and Karl rushed out to join Chris in celebration. Chris was lifted high onto their shoulder.

"Celebration may be cut short boys!" JBL called as Dean and Roman rushed back out to join Jax as well. The crowd roared as Shot'em began playing and the ring was rushed by Seth Rollins, Andy Mercier, AJ Styles and Finn Balor, who had his arm in a sling. Dean and Roman grabbed Jax and dragged him from the ring before they retreated through the crowd. Fastlane went to commercial as everybody in the ring celebrated with Chris Rollins.

The Future overtook the arena as Fastlane returned and Asuka made her way down to the ring. "And here comes Asuka! Corey, if you were watching Smackdown you know that Asuka attacked Brianna and seriously targeted her ankle."

"I was indeed watching John, and broke the news that that attack actually injured Brianna's ankle. We'll see how that factors into this match here shortly." Meteor played through the air and the fans cheered as they waited for Brianna. There was a hesitation and the crowd grew louder when she finally stepped out on the ramp. Her ankle was heavily bandaged and she walked with a slight limp. She looked around at the crowd before flashing them a smile and waving the Shaka sign. She limped down the ramp and climbed the stairs before entering the ring. She took her place in her corner as she held the top ropes to take weight off of her ankle. The referee came to her asking if she was OK to compete. Brianna nodded and the referee returned it before calling for the bell.

Asuka broke forward and Brianna moved as they came to lock up with each other. They battled back and forth for dominance. Brianna pulled Asuka into a headlock, but Asuka twisted away and wrenched her arm out. Brianna jerked her arm back and pulled Asuka back into another headlock. Asuka broke free and the crowd booed as she kicked Brianna in her injured ankle. Brianna stumbled forward trying to take weight off of it and Asuka kicked her in her back. Brianna came down to one knee and Asuka launched into a series of kicks to the chest. Brianna fell to her back and Asuka gave a shout of 'Asuka!' To which the crowd booed. As Brianna tried to make her way back to her feet, Asuka bounced off the ropes and came back for a hip attack. Brianna dodged away from it, and when Asuka stood up she was caught with a Japanese arm drag. Asuka was quick to her feet and rushed Brianna. Brianna launched herself into the air and caught the woman with a hip attack of her own. When Brianna landed on her feet, Brianna grit her teeth as she felt pain flare through her ankle. She turned and moved forward as quickly as she could before dropping her knee down onto Asuka's face. Brianna rolled away and held her ankle in pain. "That ankle is really causing Brianna some pain here tonight."

"No doubt about that. We didn't know how it would hold up going into this match, and so far it hasn't been good." Brianna hopped up on one foot before placing the other down. She pulled Asuka to her feet and hit her with a forearm to the face. Asuka's head whipped to the side and Brianna hit her with another forearm. Asuka stumbled and Brianna struck out with an elbow to yhe side of the skull. Asuka lashed out with her foot and slammed it into Brianna's ankle, causing her to cry out. Brianna hobbled to the side and Asuka caught her with three spinning punches that dropped her to the mat. Asuka quickly dragged Brianna up and caught her with a violent elbow. Brianna feel to one knee holding her head as Asuka rushed the turnbuckle and leaped onto the second rope. Brianna stood to her feet and was hit with a missile dropkick. Brianna hit the mat and Asuka stood to her feet with a smile. She reached down and dragged Brianna up. Brianna elbowed her in the abdomen and the crowd cheered as she launched herself into the air to knee Asuka in the head. Asuka hit the mat and Brianna waited until she stood to her feet and caught her with a spinning heel kick. Asuka fell back down and Brianna limped across the ring as she fought against the the pain in her ankle. Asuka slowly sat up and Brianna caught her with a shining wizard. Brianna grit her teeth again as she laid on the mat holding her ankle. Both competitors got to their feet at roughly the same time. Brianna ducked down under a violent kick from Asuka before popping up with an elbow to the face. Brianna kneed the woman in the abdomen before elbowing her in the back of the neck. Brianna pulled Asuka in for a lifting single underhook DDT and the crowd cheered wildly as she waved the Shaka sign. Asuka twisted out and kicked her ankle. Brianna cried out as she came to one knee before Asuka gave a vicious kick to the skull causing her head to snap back. Asuka took the opportunity to cover her.

"And that's all she wrote." John spoke as The Future played and the crowd booed loudly.

"A valiant effort by Brianna here tonight but in the end she just couldn't overcome that injury given to her by Asuka." Fastlane went to commercial as Asuka grinned into the camera and mockingly waved the Shaka sign.

Fastlane returned with the crowd booing as the Miz made his way down the ramp. He didn't have Maryse with him, and was dressed in blue jeans, one of his tee shirts and white sneakers. He entered the ring and spitefully looked around at the fans as they called 'You're not awesome!'. I Came to Play bled away into Tattooed Attitude and the crowd cheered heavily. Matthew stepped out onto the stage wearing his usual ring gear with the exception of having black combat pants. His Intercontinental Championship was strapped around his waist. In his left hand he carried a steel chair. He raised his right hand to look at the kendo stick he held in it. He gave a slight shrug as he came down to one knee. He slapped the Kendo stick off of the stage before making his way down the ramp. He paused to let a child take his Tattooed Attitude necklace off of him before entering the ring. Placed his chair up against the ropes and unstrapped his title before handing it to the referee. The referee held it high as Matthew retrieved his chair. The referee handed the title off and made to call for the bell when Miz stopped him. "Hey! Make him get rid of those! We can't start a match like that!"

Matthew rolled his eyes as the referee called for the bell anyway. Miz shook his head. "No! We're not doing this!" Miz screamed as the fans chanted 'Hardcore's gonna kill you!'. Matthew grimaced under his mask and threw his chair across the ring at him. Miz caught it and stared at it before smirking at Matthew. "Big mistake 'buddy'!" Miz rushed at Matthew and swung wildly with the chair. Matthew dodged to the side and cracked his kendo stick on the side of Miz's leg. Miz stumbled in pain before swinging with his chair again. Matthew avoided it again and slammed his weapon into the Miz's rib. Miz yelled in pain as he dropped his chair. Matthew cracked the kendo stick into the back of his skull and Miz came to his knees holding his head. Matthew kicked him in the side of the face, causing the Miz to fall to the mat. Matthew dropped his kendo stick and picked Miz up before throwing him through the ropes. Matthew quickly followed after him.

"And remember, everything is legal here, and either man can be pinned anywhere in the arena!" Matthew picked Miz up, but Miz grabbed his head and slammed it off of the apron. Matthew stumbled back and Miz grabbed him before throwing him into the steel stairs. Matthew held his back as he sat against them. Miz reached into the ring and grabbed the chair before trying to bounce it into Matthew's head. Matthew pushed to the side the chair slammed into the stairs. Miz dropped the weapon and held his wrist. Matthew rushed up the stairs before launching off of the and grabbing Miz in a springboard type DDT. Miz held his head as he laid on the ground. Matthew picked up the chair and the crowd cheered as he stood over Miz. He raised the chair high into the air before bringing it down onto Miz's abdomen. The former Intercontinental Champion rolled away in pain. He came to his knees and Matthew made to hit him in the head with the chair. Miz dodged to the side and jumped to his feet before kicking Matthew in the side of the head ad, forcing his body to swing to the side. Miz grabbed the chair before bringing down onto Matthew's back. Matthew arched his back and came to his knees before Miz slammed the weapon into the back of his head. Matthew hit the ground and Miz dropped the chair to go for a pin. Matthew quickly broke it. Miz stared hatefully at the referee before standing up. He dragged Matthew to his feet and made to give him the Skull Crushing Finale onto the chair, but Matthew twisted out of the Maneuver. Matthew kicked Miz into the abdomen before driving his skull into the chair with a DDT. Miz flipped onto his back and Matthew made his own cover that the Miz kicked out of. Matthew stood to his feet and ran his forearm over his face. He walked to the apron and reached under the ring. The crowd roared in approval when he removed a wooden baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Matthew made his way back to Miz and swung at him with the bat. Miz used the chair to deflect the attack before slamming it into Matthew's abdomen. Matthew doubled over before Miz popped to his feet and whacked him over the back with the steel weapon.

Matthew fell to the ground and Miz threw the steel chair into his body. Miz picked up the bat and smiled deviously as he grabbed Matthew by his hair and lifted him in a sitting position. Miz put the barbed wire against his face before raking it across Matthew's features. Matthew screamed as blood began pouring. Miz picked Matthew up and rolled him into the ring. He threw the chair and bat into the ring before removing another chair from under the ring. He slid back into the ring and walked toward Matthew before pausing. Matthew sat on his knees with a smile. "Oh no. I think Miz just woke up Hardcore R!" Matthew stood to his feet and Miz rushed forward to hit him in the head with his chair. Matthew dodged out of the way and kneed him in the gut before wrenching the chair out of his grip and slamming it into his back. Miz fell to the mat as he arched his back. Matthew dropped the chair and retrieved the baseball bat. "I think things are about to go bad for Miz here!" Miz came to his knees and then screamed as the barbed wire slammed into his back. Miz pushed forward, ripping it out, before coming to his feet with a horrified expression. He turned and Matthew planted the barbed wire into his skull. Matthew ripped it forward before tossing the bat to the side as Miz fell to the mat. Matthew exited the ring and looked around before digging under the ring before removing a table. He slid it into the ring and followed after it before setting it up. He laughed as the crowd chanted 'We want tables!'. He grabbed a chair and turned to find Miz standing with the other chair. The two stared hatefully at one another.

"Looks like we have a good old fashion western standoff here!" Miz and Matthew rushed forward at each other and swung their chairs. The chairs ricochet of one another and bounced into the two men's skulls. They both hit the mat. "You have to stop and think, whoever makes it to their feet here in this point of the mat will have a distinct advantage. Wait, what's he doing out here!?" Matthew pulled himself up using someone's pants. He looked up into Jax Austin's face as Jax held a chair. They stared at each other before Matthew chuckled.

"Tell me Jax!" Matthew called. "Are we still friends now!? Huh? Are you still protecting me? Are we still friends now!?" Jax clenched his jaw as he stared at his long time friend. Then, he lashed out with his chair. It cracked off of Miz's skull as he tried to get to his feet. Jax threw his chair away and gave a brief glance to Matthew. Then, he left. Miz stumbled up, dead on his feet. Matthew got to his feet and caught Miz with a Blue Thunder Powerbomb.

"My god! An Eye of the Storm straight through that table!" Matthew covered Miz and the fans cheered wildly as Tattooed Attitude played. Matthew pushed off of Miz and took his Intercontinental Championship from the referee.

"Here is your winner, and STILL the Intercontinental Champion, Matthew Rodriguez!" Fastlane went to commercial as Matthew held his title high to the approval of the crowd.

When it came back, Kofi Kingston made his way out to the ring as the crowd cheered. He paced back and forth, waiting until One for the Money began playing. Andy walked out in his black gear with a black leather jacket with its cloth hood over his head and his Championship over his shoulder. Andy slowly removed his hood before pointing down at the ring with his hands like guns. He walked halfway down the ramp before lifting his right arm to "Bullet!" Then his left arm to "Club!". Andy turned turned and jumped on the barricade as the fans grabbed at his jacket. "Bullet Club 4 Life!" Andy called before jumping back to the ramp. He made his way down the rest of the ramp before jumping onto the apron. He climbed the turnbuckle and did his Hangman's Draw before dropping his jacket to the floor and jumping into the ring. He rolled his shoulder as One for the Money became You're Going Down. Jordan walked out and stared down at the ring. He came down to his knee and gave his cry of "One man enters and one man leaves!" Before walking down the ramp. He paused at the end and stared into the camera before jumping on the apron. He ran the ropes and tapped the last turnbuckle he reached before he entered the ring. He took the title from Andy and lifted it high for the crowd as his music died. He handed it off to an official before he called for the bell.

Andy and Kofi broke forward and circled each other before locking up. Kofi pulled Andy into a headlock. Andy pushed Kofi away before pulling him back with his arm and going for a kick. Kofi ducked down under it and went for a dropkick but Andy dodged to the side. Kofi hit the mat before rolling to his feet. Andy performed a leg sweep and Kofi hit the mat. Andy went for a knee drop but Kofi rolled away. Kofi popped to his feet and caught Andy with a shining wizard. Andy hit the mat and Kofi jumped around the ring. Andy got back to his feet and Kofi caught him with a jumping axe handle. Andy hit the mat and rolled to his feet and Kofi caught him with another. A third caused Kofi to celebrate happily. Jordan watched as Kofi pulled Andy to his feet, only for Andy to kick his leg out from under him. Kofi came to one knee and Andy hit him with a Frankensteiner Driver. Kofi bounced up off of the mat and Andy went for a Kinshasa, but Kofi fell out of the way to save himself. Kofi jumped to his feet and caught Andy with a dropkick. Andy hit the mat and came back to his feet. Kofi had already jumped to the top rope and hit him with a flying crossbody. Kofi went for a cover and Jordan immediately began the count. Andy broke the cover and rolled to his feet. Kofi rushed at him and Andy dodged to the side before hitting him with a Pele kick.

Kofi stumbled to the side and Andy popped back to his feet before catching him with a Super kick. Kofi hit the mat and Andy covered him. Jordan started his count but quit as Kofi kicked out. Andy stood to his feet and pulled Kofi to his feet, but Kofi broke the hold. Kofi hit Andy with a forearm to the face before bouncing off the ropes. He launched himself high into the air before slamming his elbow into Andy's head. Andy hit the mat and rolled away. Kofi smiled before he caught Andy with the Boom Drop. Andy held his abdomen as he got up. Kofi went for a Trouble in Paradise, but Andy dodged out of the way. Andy went for another Super kick, but Kofi ducked under it before catching a Andy with his Trouble in Paradise. "That could be it!" Kofi covered Andy, but Jordan only counted to two before Andy kicked out. Kofi stood up and began arguing with Jordan.

"Come on man that should have been three! Right down the middle!"

"I am doing this right down the middle Kofi!" Jordan responded before something caught his eye. "Hey, what are you doing out here!" Xavier stood on the apron and yelled at Jordan. Meanwhile, Big E appeared on the opposite side of the ring and slid a chair into the ring. Kofi grabbed it as Seth and Chris came barreling down the ramp to attack Big E and Xavier.

"And here comes the Rollins brothers!" JBL called as Jordan turned around. He grabbed the chair and wrenched it out of Kofi's hands before he could hit Andy with it.

"Really Kofi? You're going to try to stoop that low!?"

"Come on, just let it happen Jordan! Andy's never done anything good for you!"

"If you win that title you do it fair!" Kofi stared angrily at Jordan before he turned around. He was lifted onto Andy's shoulders before he was hit with a Ride the Mercier. Kofi hit the mat and Andy covered him. The crowd cheered as Shot'em began playing. Seth and Chris joined Andy in the ring before handing him his Universal Championship. "Here is your winner, andSTILL the WWE Universal Champion, Andy Mercier!" Kofi rolled out of the ring to his partners as Kofi stared at Jordan with shock. Jordan shook his head at Kofi before turning to Andy. Fastlane went to commercial as Jordan lifted Andy's hand high into the air.

When Fastlane returned, Jordan stood in the ring and had thrown his shirt to the crowd. Over and Under began blaring and Jacen walked out onto the stage. He kept his head down before slowly reaching up to remove his hood. He stared down at Jordan before giving an elbow strike and uppercut to an invisible opponent. He walked down the ramp before pausing to look around the arena. He jumped onto the apron and looked out into the crowd before shaking his head. He removed his sleeveless hoodie and dropped it to the ground before jumping into the ring. Over and Under bled away as Jacen and Jordan took their corners. The referee glanced between them before calling for the bell.

Both men moved forward and began circling each in their own respective fighting stances. Jacen struck out first and Jordan dodged to the side before lashing out with a kick. Jacen brushed it away before trying to knee Jordan in the abdomen. Jordan caught the knee and shoved it away before going for an elbow strike. Jacen dodged out of the way before going for a Tornado Kick but Jordan dodged back. Jordan lashed out with a kick that Jacen caught before Jacen caught it between his abdomen and arm before slamming his elbow into the knee. Jacen released Jordan's leg and Jordan stumbled back. Jacen went for a kick to the skull, but Jordan ducked down underneath it before popping up with an uppercut. Jacen's head whipped back and he stumbled before Jordan caught him with a spear. "And Jordan getting an M16 in early on here!" Jordan popped to his feet as the referee began his ten count. Jacen hurriedly made his way back to his feet to break it as he held his abdomen. Jordan moved forward and went for a kick, but Jacen ducked under it and sweeped Jordan's legs out from under him. Jordan hit the mat and Jacen tried to enter the ground and pound position, but Jordan shoved him away. Jordan rolled to his feet and struck out at Jacen. Jacen brushed the attack away with his forearm. Jordan went for another strike but this one was also brushed away. Jacen wrapped his arm around Jordan's before pulling up. Then, he jerked down and slammed his fist into his face. Jacen then entered a ground and pound position and began hammering away at Jordan's skull. Jordan was able to block some and even get a few of his own.

Jacen broke away and Jordan rolled to his feet. Jacen went for a running knee lift but Jordan dodged away before pulling Jacen into a hip toss. Jordan then followed up by entering into a ground and pound position of his own. Jordan violently punched Jacen in the face before he was pushed away. Jacen sat up and felt his lip before looking at his fingers. His nostrils flared as he saw blood. Jacen jumped to his feet and slammed his elbow into Jordan's face. Jordan stumbled backward and Jacen caught him with a Bodyguard Combo. "You want to box with god!?" Jacen screamed angrily as the referee counted toward ten. Jacen himself broke the count by dragging Jordan to his feet. "Your arms are too damn short to box with god!" Jacen shoved Jordan away before Kneeing him in the abdomen. Jordan doubled over and Jacen violently slammed his elbow into his skull multiple times. A gash opened up over Jordan's eyebrow before Jacen hit him with a Thpouk Kang Soam. Jordan stumbled backward into the ropes before falling to the mat. Jacen paced back and forth as he waited on the ten count. Jacen's jaw clenched as Jordan began using the ropes to pick himself up. Realizing he was going to beat the ten count, Jacen reached into his tights and produced brass knuckles before placing them on his right hand. He clenched his fist as he waited for Jordan to get back to his feet. The crowd cheered wildly as Andy rushed down the ramp and leaped onto the apron. The referee and Jacen both turned to scream at him. Andy tried to get the referee to realize the situation before Jacen struck him in the jaw with his brass knuckles. Andy hit the apron before rolling to ringside. Jacen stared down at the man with hate before turning around. He was caught with a violent high knee.

"The Sterling Special!" Corey called as the referee began his count. "And that's all she wrote!" You're Going Down played and Jordan lifted his hand high into the air before rolling out of the ring. He helped Andy up to his feet as the champion held his head.

"You okay?" Jordan asked as he and Andy walked up the ramp together. Andy nodded in response as Fastlane faded once again.

Later, the aftermath of Fastlane was felt throughout the entire arena. The Bullet Club was gathered in their locker room. This consisted of Andy Mercier, the New United States Champion Seth Rollins, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Chris Rollins, AJ Styles and Finn Balor. "So all forgiven?" Andy spoke as he and Finn laughed together. Finn stared at him before nodding.

"Yeah. All forgiven. Bullet Club 4 Life!" Andy laughed and pulled Finn into a one armed shrug.

"To the Bullet Club ruling the wrestling world!" Chris Rollins called as he stuck his fist out. Seth laughed and connected his fist to it. It escalated until all of the men had their fists connected. Then, they all spoke in unison.

"Believe that!"

In a secluded area of the building, Jax sat with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of his face. He glanced up to look at Dean and Roman as they paced back and forth cracking their knuckles. "Both of you relax. He's going to be pissed, but this... this is just the beginning."

Brianna sat propped against a wall in the hall. Her boot was removed and her ankle was bandaged even heavier than before. She leaned her head back against the wall and tried to keep herself from crying. "Hey." A familiar voice spoke and Brianna looked up to see her boyfriend, Steve McGarrett, standing close to her with a worried smile. "How are you doing?"

"I lost." Brianna returned simply with a shake of her head. Steve grimaced before sitting down beside her and placing his arm over her shoulders.

"Hey, it's one loss. It's not the end of the world."

"I'm not going to be fighting for the title at Wrestlemania. I might not even get to go to Wrestlemania at all now."

"About that." A new voice spoke and they both looked to the side as Shane McMahon approached them. "I wanted to talk to you about that. But first, we need to get that ankle checked out." Brianna nodded in response before looking to Steve who smiled.

"I'll be right here. I love you."

"I love you too."

Jacen slammed his fist into a locker door as he seethed angrily. "Alright Andy, you want to get involved with me again?" Jacen questioned no one as he punched the locker again. "I guess you forgot what happened the last time you went up against god."

In the trainers room, Matthew and Jordan both grinned sheepishly as Becky stared darkly at them "You're both idiots!" Becky spoke angrily as she gestured to their heads. Matthew had staples from the barbed wire and Jordan's gash was stitched up. "You both tell me not to worry and then you go and do stupid things like that!"

"But... I kept this?" Matthew spoke as he lifted his Intercontinental Championship. A sharp glance from Becky caused him to turn his head and stare at the wall.

"I knocked Jacen out." Jordan spoke with a shrug. "That's something Andy hasn't done. Speaking of Andy, I think you owe him an apology sweetheart. He stopped everything from getting worse for me." Becky stared at Jordan before sighing and looking at the ground.

"You're right. I just thought that... he was a different person from who he used to be." Jordan gave an understanding smile before standing up and pulling Becky into a hug.

"I had that thought too. I guess we both owe Andy an apology."

Andy chewed on a piece of gum as he walked out of the arena with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He walked toward his car and paused as he spotted a familiar brunette sitting on the hood. He smiled as he approached her. "Congratulations on retaining!" Andy called drawing her attention.

"You too!" The woman returned as she jumped off of the hood to pull him into a hug. "Sorry for waiting on you like a stalker, but I really wanted to talk to you." Andy stared at him before shaking his head.

"No, it's okay. I wanted to talk to you too. Listen, there's something I've been wanting to ask you for a while Bayley..."

XXX

Wrap. It's done! It's finally done! I put so much work into this chapter! I hope it worked out good! Thank God it's done! I've been working on this almost two days straight! I can't even go over everything that happened because my brains so scattered. All I have to say is when I introduced Chris Rollins as Seth freaking Rollins little brother you had to know how was pulling that victory out and you had to know that of course I was giving Seth the United States Championship! Well guys until next time, here's some info on Chris Rollins!

Real Name: Christopher Lopez-Cage

Ring Name: Chris Rollins

Hometown: Calgary Alberta Canada

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 205 IBS

Skin Color: Tan

Appearance: Has short light brown hair, sometimes seeming blond, that is shaved on the sides and longer on top. He has hazel green eyes.

Ring Attire: On his left wrist he has a black band that come to the middle of his forearm. It has a silver lightning bolt outlined with red. The outlining extends just a little bit past the black band on either side. On the right wrist he has another black band but it is designed with white scale like designs. Both bands are laced on the inside of the forearm. He has black tights that have hip bones with leg bones printed on the front. Printed onto the left leg bone was what was supposed to look like a metal plate with 'Raw Power' written on it. On the side of the right leg the Bushido is written vertically in silver and outlined in red. On the back of the left leg is the Phrase 'Maximum Effort'. His tights have belt loops and he has a black belt with a silver lightning bolt. He has a belt buckle that has the initials CR in silver outlined with red. He has black boots with black kick pads that come into points over his knees. The right is completely white and black. It is split into three sections with a white line up the middle and a curved line near the top. The top section has bullets lined in a curve while the bottom two sections have wing designs. The left kick pad is outlined in red. A skull extends down from the red on the top. It has bullets trailing off to the side and has a silver biohazard sign near the bottom disappearing into the side.

Entrance Attire: Ring Gear with a sleeveless leather vest. The collar is studded and it is studded around the bottom of the back. It has a belt and buckle built in on either side that dangle as its left undone.

Street Clothes: tee shirts, blue jeans, converse and sneakers, leather jackets and WWE fleece jackets.

Tattoos/ Piercings: Has a replica tattoo of the Bushido down his spine like Seth Rollins. Has a tattoo on his right forearm reading LivE. The E is capitalized and backwards so it can also be read as EviL with a backwards L.

Personality: Is very confident as a competitor and tends to come across as arrogant and cocky. Tends to not take things too seriously and can often find jokes in any situation.

Wrestling Style:High Flyer, Extreme and Hardcore

Taunts: Parodies other wrestlers, squats down with his hands clasped in front of his face as he watches opponent, Checks his wrist like a watch then acts like it's broke, mocks opponents by acting like his back is hurt if theirs is or ankle etcetera.

Signatures: Straight Jacket Scoop Brainbuster(It Came From Japan), Cross-legged Fisherman Buster(It Came From Japan II), Super kick to Kneeling opponent or from top rope(Avada Kedavra), Diving high knee(Future Shock), Spaceman moonsault planca(Look out below), Headlock Driver(Automatic Midnight)

Finishers: Curb Stomp(Old Yeller, adopted from Seth Rollins), Snapmare Driver(Maximum Overdrive), Snapmare Neckbreaker(Code Blue)

Manager: None

Theme Song: Through It All by From Ashes to New

Entrance: Chris walks out onto the stage and comes down to both knees. He rubs the ground and checks his wrist like a watch before popping to his feet. He walks halfway down the ramp before turning around and walking backwards with his arms outstretched. He turns back around at the end of the ramp before going to the left side of the ring. He jumps on the apron before standing up and doing a quick spin. He hooks his arms over the top rope and stares out at the crowd before climbing the side of the turnbuckle. He points at his left palm with his right index finger before dropping in the ring.

Titantron&Minitron: Chris' Titantron is the same as Seth's with SR bleeding away into CR and Seth performing moves transitions into Chris performing the same moves. His Minitron has a constantly moving cross sight with the Phrase 'Maximum Effort' flashing.

Relationships: N/A

Accomplishments:

5 Star Match Recipient

ROH Survival of the Fittest Winner

Aztec Warfare Winner

1x FIP World Heavyweight Champion

1x PWG World Heavyweight Champion

1x IPW World Heavyweight Champion

1x Evolve Champion

1x CZW World Heavyweight Champion

1x CZW Ultraviolent Underground Champion

1x IWGP Intercontinental Champion

1x IWGP World Heavyweight Champion

2x ROH Tag Team Champion

1x ROH Television Champion

3x ROH World Heavyweight Champion

1x ACW Televised Champion

1x ACW Hardcore Champion

1x ACW World Heavyweight Champion

1x Lucha Underground Champion

Extra info: Younger Brother of Seth Rollins

Trained by Edge and Chris Jericho

Bio:

Chris Rollins was born as the younger half brother of Seth Rollins. He was born in Canada but was kept by his mother as his father was unable to provide for him financially. He grew up with Seth and shared his love of wrestling. When Seth decided to pursue his dream of being a wrestler, Chris moved to Canada with his biological dad to do the same. Chris was trained by fellow Canadian wrestlers Edge and Chris Jericho.

He debut in Full Impact Pro as Chris Cage. His high risk style connected instantly with the fans and he was catapulted to a main event level. He quickly captured the FIP World Heavyweight Championship and held it for three months before backstage rivalries caused Chris to leave the company. He would debut in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla still using the name Chris Cage. After a six month tenure he would win the PWG World Heavyweight Championship, only to vacate it a week later when his contract expired.

He would then appear on Insanity Pro Wrestling under the new name Chris Anarchy. It was here Chris met Dean Ambrose, then going by Jon Moxley. They would become friends and rivals with Chris eventually Dethroning Moxley as the IPW World Heavyweight Champion. He would hold the title for three months before losing it back to Moxley and leaving IPW. He would debut in Evolve Wrestling as Chris Mortal and became a top level heel, capturing the Evolve Championship. Through intercompany communications, Chris would appear in New Japan Pro Wrestling where he and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship would butt heads. He would later lose his title before leaving Evolve.

Despite predictions for a NJPW debut, Chris debut on Combat Zone Wrestling, reusing the name Chris Anarchy where he would engage Moxley in a violent feud for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship that Chris would eventually claim. He held the title four months before a split jaw forced him to vacate it. He would return to claim the CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship before he took time to recover. When he returned to wrestling he was no longer part of CZW and arrived in New Japan with the moniker of Chris Mortal again. He would instantly wow the crowd and become the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, but five months into his run a torn acl caused him to relinquish the title. When he returned he set sights on the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. After a heel turn he claimed the prize, only to vacate three months later due to an acl tear in his opposite leg. Wanting to recover longer, Chris left NJPW.

Chris would then debut in Ring of Honor, playing off of his brothers in Ring Name Tyler Black by becoming Chris Black. The two reunited brothers would capture the ROH Tag Team Championships twice before Seth left ROH. Chris would then embark on his singles run, capturing the ROH Television Championship. He would lose the title a few months later. Chris would go on to win the ROH Survival of the Fittest. This would lead him to a championship match against Andy Mercier who he would defeat for the title. He would hold it until he was defeated by Matthew Rodriguez. An injury sidelined him and he would return to reclaim the title from Matthew before disappearing from Ring of Honor.

He would appear in Anarchy Championship Wrestling as Chris Black, still carrying the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. He would win the ACW Televised Championship before he finally quit carrying the ROH title, which was then awarded to Jax Austin in Ring of Honor. Chris would eventually lose his Televised Championship before capturing the ACW Hardcore Championship. After a few months with the title, he put it on the line in a double title match against the ACW World Heavyweight Championship. He won the match and carried both titles before losing the Hardcore Championship. Chris would then appear on ROH carrying his new title and challenge Jax's authenticity as Champion, claiming he had never lost the title. In a match sponsored as ACW vs ROH, the two champions battled with their titles on the line. Chris became the unified Heavyweight Champion of ACW and ROH before a knee injury caused him to vacate both titles to their companies.

His extended contract with ROH would run out before he healed, and Chris would only wrestle one more match for ACW against the newest Hardcore Champion in a match rated five stars. He would then part ways with the company before appearing in Lucha Underground as Dragonite, where he was dressed in an attire made to resemble dragon scales and bones. He would win the Aztec Warfare to become the Lucha Underground Champion. After a few months, Chris lost the title and opted to leave the company. He would sign with the WWE and begin conditioning his style under the name Chris Rollins.


End file.
